May 22, 2013
The tropical system bearing down on Cuba is now Hurricane Lili.
The tropical storm was upgraded Monday morning, as top sustained winds reached 75 miles an hour. There's now a hurricane watch flying for western Cuba and a tropical storm warning for the rest of the island nation. A hurricane warning is also posted for the Cayman Islands, with a tropical storm warning for Jamaica.
Forecasters look for Lili to continue gaining strength, though proximity to land might inhibit that for a while. There is also the possibility of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides in eastern Cuba.
Forecasters say Lili is moving toward an area that could allow "fairly significant strengthening" once it crosses Cuba. In the words of For now, the longer-range forecast puts the center of Lili off the south Louisiana coast in 72 hours. Lili centered at latitude 19.8 north, longitude 80.0 west. Learn more about hurricanes and how to protect yourself.
