Florida - Friday November 17, 2023: The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is now following a potential tropical cyclone in the Caribbean that, at this time, appears to be on a track that will impact Jamaica, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.
It is on a path that will eventually take it into the central Atlantic. It poses no threat to Florida or anywhere else on the North American mainland.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Twenty-Two could produce tropical storm conditions, especially in areas of heavy rainfall across Jamaica, southeastern Cuba, Haiti, the Southern Bahamas, and the Turks and Caicos Islands through Saturday, and tropical storm watches are in effect for those areas.
Heavy rains will impact portions of Jamaica, southeastern Cuba, and southern Hispaniola through Sunday. This rainfall is likely to produce flash flooding, along with mudslides in areas of higher terrain.
Lighter amounts across the southeastern Bahamas as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands may lead to flash flooding in urban areas.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Twenty-Two
As of 10 a.m. Friday, the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone 22 was near centered near latitude 17.5 north and longitude 79.1 west. The system was moving toward the northeast at about 14 mph. It is expected to pick up some speed through the weekend as it continues to head northeast.
On the forecast track, the system is expected to move across Jamaica later today, southeastern Cuba by early Saturday, and the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some slight strengthening is possible during the next couple of days, but the system's chance of becoming a tropical cyclone appears to be decreasing.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...40 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days...medium...40 percent.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
* Jamaica
* Haiti
* Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma, and Las Tunas
* Southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 36 hours.