Paloma became a Category 3 hurricane late Friday as it approached Grand Cayman and forecasters called it a dangerous major hurricane, United Press International (UPI) reported. Cuba issued a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for Granma province Friday as Paloma strengthened and moved northward in the Caribbean. Hurricane warnings remained in effect for the Cayman Islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Paloma, with sustained top winds of 115 mph at 7 p.m. EST, was about 30 miles south of Grand Cayman and about 275 miles southwest of Camaguey, Cuba. The storm was moving toward the north-northeast at about 6 mph and was expected to turn gradually toward the northeast overnight. Forecasters said Paloma could gain strength through Saturday morning before weakening gradually later in the day. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles and tropical storm-force winds reached outward up to 120 miles, forecasters said. The NHC advised authorities in Jamaica and Cuba to monitor the hurricane as it moved northward at 6 mph, with a turn to the northeast expected Friday night. The storm was forecast to bring as much as 15 inches of rain to the Cayman Islands and generate "dangerous battering waves," the report said.
