Tropical Depression forms south of Cuba, set to strengthen

MIAMI (AP) — A tropical depression formed Saturday afteron south of Cuba amid forecasts that system would become a named tropical storm later this weekend and possibly a hurricane within days, U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Miami-based center said Tropical Depression 28 emerged about 255 miles (405 kilometers) south-souast of western tip of Cuba. At 5 p.m. EDT, storm h top sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph) and was moving toward rth-rthwest at 2 mph (4 kph).

Forecasters said depression is expected to strengn into a tropical storm sometime Sunday and could attain hurricane status over sourn Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday. center said storm is expected to remain south of Cuba on Sunday and approach Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula — or Yucatan Channel — late Monday before entering sourn Gulf.

government of Cuba has issued a tropical storm watch for province of Pinar del Rio. Meanwhile, hurricane center said people on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula should monitor progress of storm, which is expected to grually strengn over next 72 hours.