MIAMI, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The coast of Haiti was under a hurricane warning Wednesday night as Tropical Storm Tomas strengthened over the Caribbean, forecasters said.
A hurricane watch was issued for the southeastern Bahamas and for the Turks and Caicos Islands, forecasters in Miami said. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba and Holguin, as well as for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti border eastward to Barahona and for Jamaica, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
In its 11 p.m. EDT update, the NHC said the storm -- upgraded from tropical depression status earlier Wednesday -- was about 295 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and about 210 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. Tomas was moving north-northwest at 6 mph with top sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm was expected to turn toward the north and north-northeast during the next 48 hours. On its forecast track, the center of Tomas is expected to approach Haiti Friday and the southeastern Bahamas Saturday. The storm is expected to strengthen and become a hurricane Friday.
Forecasters said effects from Tomas would start being felt in Jamaica by Wednesday night, the Jamaica Gleaner said.
UPI
