TS Rina Forms South of Cuba

By Circles Robinson

Tropical Storm Rina at 11:00 p.m. EDT on October 23. Projection cone: National Hurricane Center

HAVANA TIMES, Oct. 23 — Tropical Storm Rina formed in the western Caribbean on Sunday night just over a hundred miles northeast of the northeastern tip of Nicaragua and several hundred miles south of Cuba.

Rina is churning on a northwest path at a relatively slow 8 mph (12 kph) and currently packs maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

A tropical storm watch is in effect for Cabo Gracias a Dios, Nicaragua and the eastern half of the Honduran Caribbean coastline.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami is predicting that TS Rina will gain hurricane strength (74 mph) before a possible landing on the Mexican Yucatan peninsula by Thursday or Friday.

The Cuban Weather Service, INSMET, is expected to issue an updated report on the tropical storm Monday at 6:00 am. local time (EDT).