Paloma Roars Toward Cuba

Major Hurricane Paloma and its top winds of 140 mph are roaring toward Cuba.

It is about 120 miles southwest of Camaguey, Cuba. It is moving ENE at 9 mph.

The center of the hurricane will make landfall on the coast of Cuba around midnight tonight.

If the current projected course materializes, a storm surge of up to 20 feet could affect the area near and to the east of where the center crosses the coast. The track will give carry the center directly to the left of a bay called the Golfo de Guacanayabo. The bay could funnel the surge generated by the hurricane upwards, producing a very dangerous situation for that coastline.

Top winds are 140 mph. The central pressure is 943mb. The storm may weaken slowly today as a concentric eyewall structure has developed, suggesting an eyewall replacement is underway. It also will undergo increasing shear as we go through time.

The hurricane is expected to weaken quickly as it crosses Cuba and it will likely be downgraded to a tropical storm by tomorrow evening.

The remnant low will likely spend the first half of the week meandering to the north of Cuba. It may not even reach the Bahamas. Amazing.

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