#International_Tech_News

Hurricane #IAN UPDATE

Ian strengthens into a hurricane, heads toward #Cuba, #Florida.

#HAVANA – Hurricane Ian moved near the #Cayman_Islands and closer to western #Cuba early Monday (Today) on a track to hit #Florida as a major hurricane this week.

Ian was forecast to intensify rapidly and become a major hurricane as soon as late Monday before becoming an even stronger #Category 4 hurricane over warm #Gulf_of_Mexico waters before striking the west central coast of Florida on Wednesday.

Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in #Pinar_del_Rio province and planned evacuations Monday as Ian gained strength on approach to Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of #Isla_de_Juventud, #Pinar_del_Rio and #Artemisa.

“Cuba is expecting extreme hurricane force winds, also life threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall,” U.S. National Hurricane Center senior specialist Daniel Brown told The Associated Press early Monday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ian should reach far-western Cuba late Monday or early Tuesday, hitting near the country’s most famed tobacco fields. Cuba state media outlet Granma said authorities would begin evacuating people from vulnerable areas early Monday in Pinar del Rio. Classes there have been suspended.

At 5 a.m. EDT on Monday, Ian was moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), about 90 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Grand Cayman, according to the center. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).

“Ian is not expected to spend much time over western Cuba, and additional strengthening is likely over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday,” the hurricane center said. “Ian is likely to have an expanding wind field and will be slowing down by that time, which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida.”

Florida residents were getting ready, lining up for hours in Tampa to collect bags of sand and clearing store shelves of bottled water.

A hurricane watch was issued for Florida's central western coast including the Tampa Bay area, where Hillsborough County suspended classes through Thursday to prepare schools to serve as shelters for evacuees. Additional watches for more northern areas along the peninsula’s west coast may be issued, Brown said.