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Paloma reaches hurricane strength Hurricane heads for Caymans, Cuba
(about 10 hours later)
Tropical Storm Paloma has strengthened into a Category One hurricane as it heads towards the Cayman Islands, say forecasters in the US. Hurricane Paloma is gathering strength as it heads across the Caribbean towards the Cayman Islands and Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center says.
Residents of the Caymans have been advised to "rush to completion" efforts to protect life and property. Paloma is expected to hit the Cayman Islands late on Friday and then move towards Cuba, striking its southern coast on Sunday.
The authorities of Cuba and Jamaica have also been put on alert. At 0900GMT, the Category One storm was 175km (110 miles) south of Grand Cayman, with 130km/h (80mph) winds.
Paloma, which has maximum sustained winds of up to 75mph (120km/h), is the 16th tropical storm of the Atlantic storm season and the eighth hurricane. It is expected to become a Category Two storm later in the day.
The Miami-based US Hurricane Center said Paloma "continues to rapidly organise" and that additional strengthening was likely, with the storm predicted to become a Category Two hurricane on Friday. Paloma is the 16th storm of the Atlantic storm season and the eighth hurricane.
At 0700 EST (0000 GMT ) Paloma was 165 miles (270km) south of Grand Cayman and about 280 miles (450km) west-southwest of Montego Bay in Jamaica, said the centre. It has already brought heavy rain to parts of Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Cayman Islands authorities have urged residents not to leave storm preparations to the last minute. 'No complacency'
Residents of the Caymans, Cuba and Jamaica have all been put on alert.
Parts of Cuba have already been devastated by hurricanes this seasonAuthorities in the Cayman Islands have urged residents not to leave storm preparations to the last minute.
"History has taught us that we cannot afford complacency during hurricane season, for conditions can rapidly deteriorate," said the islands' top elected official, Kurt Tibbetts."History has taught us that we cannot afford complacency during hurricane season, for conditions can rapidly deteriorate," said the islands' top elected official, Kurt Tibbetts.
Heavy rainfall has already been reported in Honduras and Nicaragua. In Cuba, officials in every province were working to "guarantee the protection of the public and economic resources", the Civil Defense said.
"We are telling people in the area to leave the mountain areas, there are a lot of people at risk," said Randolfo Funes, an official at Honduras' rescue agency Copeco. Paloma would be the fifth hurricane to hit Cuba this season.
The 2008 hurricane season has been particularly active, including devastating storms that led to some 800 deaths in Haiti in September and August. Gustav and Ike, which struck Cuba on 30 August and 9 September respectively, caused billions of dollars worth of damage and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.