Watches were issued Thursday for Cuba and other areas in the Caribbean as forecasters said a disturbance had a high potential of forming into a tropical storm.
The disturbance was over the west-central Caribbean about 320 miles west-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica with winds of 35 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Thursday.
Strengthening was forecast and the disturbance was expected to become a tropical storm, possibly as early as Friday, the NHC said.
The center of the system was expected to move across Jamaica late Friday, southeastern Cuba early Saturday, and the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday.
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It was not expected to come close to Florida.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for Jamaica, Haiti, the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Las Tunas, as well as the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
There have been 19 named storms in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. Vince is the next name on the list.
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The season officially ends Nov. 30.
