Hurricane watches were issued for parts of Cuba and Mexico on Monday as a cluster of storms located south of the Cayman Islands is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane – to be named Helene – in upcoming days with it moving north toward the Florida and the US as it cuts a path between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula in upcoming days.

The disturbance is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday as it approaches the Gulf Coast, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Michael Lowry, a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert, wrote in his latest update that it’s likely a Category 3 or stronger hurricane “will threaten parts of north Florida or its sweeping Big Bend before the work week is done.”

The cluster of storms was located about 200 km south-southwest of Grand Cayman on Monday. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 kph and was moving north at 9 kph.

A hurricane watch was in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio and eastern Mexico from Cabo Catoche to Tulum, while a tropical storm warning was in effect for eastern Mexico from Río Lagartos to Tulum and for the Cuban provinces of Artemisa, Pinar del Río and the Isle of Youth.

Heavy rainfall also is forecast for the Southeast US starting on Wednesday, threatening flash and river flooding, according to the NHC.

Meanwhile, up to 1.2 metres of storm surge is forecast for parts of Cuba and Mexico.

On Monday, authorities in the Cayman Islands closed schools as forecasters warned of heavy flooding associated with the disturbance.

Helene would be the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

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