🌀 Cayman Islands preparing for potential tropical storm

The Cayman Islands are preparing for a possible tropical storm in the coming days as a nearby weather system is becoming more organised and is expected to intensify. The system is likely to develop into Tropical Storm Helene and may further intensify into a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. The main concern for the low-lying areas is flooding, due to expected heavy rains beginning tonight. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service predicts up to nine inches of rain on Grand Cayman and seven inches on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman due to frequent and heavy thunderstorms. 🌧️

Local forecasters warn that the current king tides, coupled with the heavy rainfall, could result in significant flooding in low-lying areas. The worst of the weather, including strong winds, is expected to occur Monday night into Tuesday morning, although the adverse weather conditions are expected to persist into Wednesday. The main local danger is the potential for rapid intensification as the storm forms and passes across or very close to the Cayman Islands. The National Hurricane Center also noted that the stormy system, currently known as AL97, is gradually becoming better organised. 🌀

Meanwhile, a tropical wave located between western Africa and the Cabo Verde Islands is producing disorganised shower and thunderstorm activity. The National Hurricane Center stated that a tropical depression is likely to form during the middle to latter part of this week as it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. The forecasters said that the chance of storm formation over the next seven days is 70%. ⛈️