ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Oct. 12, 2014, CNS – A new storm, racing toward the eastern Caribbean, is threatening to become a hurricane.
Tropical Storm Gonzalo was centered roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) east of the Leeward Islands early Sunday afternoon and was expected to pick up strength as it moved toward Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Tracking west at about 10 mph (16 kph), forecasters said Gonzalo could reach hurricane strength by the time it reached Puerto Rico's southern coastline Tuesday morning.
Tropical storm warnings and watches were issued for a number of Caribbean locales, including the French dependency of Guadeloupe, the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Gonzalo was expected to move through parts of the Leeward Islands by early Monday, producing 4 inches to 8 inches (10 centimeters to 20 centimeters) of rain, with some areas potentially getting soaked with as much as 12 inches (30 centimeters).
CNS/db/2014
