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(Best Syndication News) As Gustav approaches the Gulf of Mexico, tropical storms and depressions are lined up across the Atlantic Ocean (see videos and maps below). As of 2 AM EDT, Gustav has slowed to tropical storm speeds and is sitting right on top of Jamaica. The National Weather Service expects the storm to turn into a Hurricane somewhere in between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

General Information

Gustav is moving slowly across Jamaica with tropical storm force winds. The storm is located off the southwest corner of the island at 18.1 north and 78.1 west, or about 60 miles west of Kingston Jamaica. Although Haiti can expect another 1 to 2 inches of rain, the storm is expected to diminish overnight (see video below).

Gustav is traveling at about 8 mph with tropical storm winds extending out 45 miles from the center. Wind speeds are expected to increase and the storm will likely become a hurricane by Friday night or Saturday. The storm is expected to drop 6 to 12 inches of rain, with some areas receiving as much as 24 inches.

Jamaica

Yesterday the center of the storm was expected to travel in between Jamaica and Cuba, but today it decided to shift slightly south slamming directly into the island of Jamaica. The good news is that the wind speeds have slowed slightly over the land. The bad news is that the speeds are still in excess of 65 mph with gusts of 100 mph.

The hurricane watch for Jamaica is still in effect. The Hurricane Center in Miami reports that the heavy rain will create life threatening floods and mud slides. A storm surge of 1 to 3 feet is hitting the island. Gustav will remain over Jamaica for the next few hours before entering the Caribbean Sea.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are next in line for Gustov. The center of the storm should be right over the islands by Friday at 8 pm EDT. Right now the storm is 255 miles east southeast of the islands.

The storm track is in the west northwesterly direction. The weather service believes the storm will become a hurricane either Friday or Saturday. There is a hurricane warning for the islands. This means you can expect hurricane conditions within the next 24 hours.

Cuba

The center of Gustav will likely hit the very western tip of Cuba around 8 pm on Saturday. The recent jaunt to the south pushed the storm track a little to the west, but it is still expected to hit the tip before making its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

There is a hurricane watch for the tip of Cuba. This means the area can expect a hurricane within the next 36 hours. Gustav is expected to gain some power over the Caribbean before it strikes. The weather service expects the storm to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain on Cuba.

Gulf of Mexico

The further out in time we go, the path of Gustav is harder to predict. The storm will hit the gulf late on Saturday. The southerly track has pushed the projected path to the west of New Orleans. Although the storm is expected to hit Louisiana, it could hit Texas, Louisiana or the Panhandle of Florida.

After the storm passes Cuba it is expected to pick up steam again. It will be in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico through Sunday and by Monday morning the forecasters will have a better grasp of where it will hit land. The center of the storm is expected to strike land by 8 pm Tuesday and possibly late Monday night.

By Mark Williams
Best Syndication News Science Writer

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