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Hurricane Ian formed in the Caribbean Sea on Monday morning as federal forecasters predicted the storm will strengthen before ultimately slamming into western Florida.
With 75 mph winds, the Category 1 storm is currently 90 miles west of the Cayman Islands and some 275 miles southeast of western Cuba, according to an 8 a.m. Monday update provided by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Hurricane warnings were in effect for the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa as well as Grand Cayman island.
Officials said the system is expected to become a major hurricane—a storm system that is Category 3 or greater—by Monday evening. A Category 3 hurricane has 111 to 129 mph winds
An updated NHC “cone of uncertainty” shows Ian is slated to hit western Cuba as a major hurricane by 2 a.m. Tuesday. After hitting the island, the storm is expected to remain a major hurricane before tracking to the north-northwest, where it is then forecast to impact central western Florida, possibly bringing significant impacts to the Tampa area around early Thursday morning, according to NHC modeling.
