Tropical Storm Ian is barrelling toward western Cuba, where it is expected to soak the Caribbean island with heavy rainfall and trigger storm surges as it turns into a hurricane.
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Ian began rapidly late on Sunday, moving northwestward about 917km southeast of the western tip of Cuba, with sustained winds of 96km per hour, the US-based National Hurricane Center said.
The Cuban government has issued a hurricane warning for the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa and evacuated tourists and workers from popular destinations on the island's southwestern coast.
"Life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected in portions of western Cuba beginning late Monday," the NHC said.
Ports throughout the western half of Cuba have been closed since Friday and fishermen called back to harbour ahead of the pending storm, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall, flash flooding and possible mudslides.
Cuban officials said the storm had tended slightly eastward, putting the capital Havana closer to the crosshairs.
The NHC said Ian was expected to develop into a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico by midweek and could cause flooding in the United States across the Florida Keys and Florida peninsula.
Australian Associated Press