Tropical Depression 26 forms in the Caribbean

Tropical Depression 26 formed yesterday evening in the Caribbean Sea. At this time, the expected track is headed for the Louisiana coast. The system is expected to become a tropical storm later today and a hurricane by Wednesday. Everyone along the northern Gulf coast should start preparing for possible tropical impacts later this week. While it is too soon to know for sure where this storm will make landfall, please start to get your game plan ready.

At 5 a.m. EDT, the center of now Tropical Depression Twenty-Six was centered over the central Caribbean Sea about 90 miles (145 km) south of Negril, Jamaica, and about 255 miles (405 km) southeast of Grand Cayman. The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), and this general motion should continue for the next day or so. A faster northwestward motion is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center is expected to move away from Jamaica through this morning, move near or over the Cayman Islands later tonight, approach the Isle of Youth and western Cuba Tuesday afternoon or evening and then move into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected to occur during the next few days, and the depression is forecast to become a tropical storm when it nears the Cayman Islands later today, and be a hurricane when it moves near or over western Cuba on Tuesday.The next name on the list is “Delta”.