THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 17, 1996 TAG: 9610170321
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 42 lines
Lili, the 12th tropical storm this year, was hovering in the western Caribbean Sea on Wednesday, well south of the United States.
But by Friday, it's expected to be passing over Havana en route to the Bahamas, and threatening the Florida Keys and South Florida with a dousing.
``We think it will become a hurricane, maybe not tonight, but probably tomorrow,'' said John Hope, senior meteorologist at The Weather Channel in Atlanta. And even if the storm center stays well away from South Florida, it could bring heavy, sustained rainfall to an already soaked area. ``This could cause big, big problems.''
A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning were in effect Wednesday night for the Isle of Youth and Western Cuba, with a tropical storm warning also in effect for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Cabo Catoche southward to Bahia de Chetumal and for the Cayman Islands.
At 5 p.m., the center of Lili was located about 365 miles south-southwest of Havana. The storm had drifted toward the west during the afternoon, but a general movement to the northwest at about 7 mph was expected overnight with a turn toward the north today.
``What this slow movement has done is delayed any possible hurricane watches or warnings that might be issued for Florida,'' at least until today, Hope said. But it is also affording the storm more time to hover over warm waters and intensify. ``And it is getting better organized,'' Hope said.
The storm's future course may be determined by an approaching low pressure trough, the National Hurricane Center said. And there's a possibility that strong westerly winds might start tearing at its circulation by Friday, weakening it somewhat.
The Hurricane Center, noting the many variables in the forecast, warned that all residents of the Florida Keys and the southern Florida peninsula, the northwestern Caribbean Sea, Cuba, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Western Bahamas should closely monitor Lili's progress. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic by Steve Stone\The Virginian-Pilot
Tracker's Guide
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE LILI by CNB