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Update , 3:35 p.m. EDT : Hurricane Sandy has made landfall over Jamaica .
Tropical Storm Sandy has strengthened into Hurricane Sandy over the Caribbean Sea , just before it is expect to hit Jamaica afterwards today ( Oct. 23 ) .
The GOES East satellite captured this view of Tropical Storm Sandy over the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 23, 2012, as it headed towards a strike on Jamaica.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) noted the modification in Sandy ’s strength in their 11 a.m. EDT update , noting that the hurricane has maximum free burning winds of 80 mph ( 130 kph ) , as valuate by hurricane hunter aircraft . The threshold for hurricane potency is 74 miles per hour ( 119 kph ) .
Hurricane Sandy is the 10th hurricane of the2012 Atlantic hurricane time of year , which was bear to see only between five and eight hurricane .
Meanwhile , Tropical Depression 19 strengthened into Tropical Storm Tony last night , make it the 19th named violent storm of the season , which was predicted to see between 12 and 17 call violent storm ( those of tropical tempest status or high ) . [ In image : Hurricane Season 2012 ]
The GOES East satellite captured this view of Tropical Storm Sandy over the Caribbean Sea on Oct. 23, 2012, as it headed towards a strike on Jamaica.
Both storms have formed during the so - called"second tip " of the hurricane time of year , a smaller ear that occurs in mid - October , after the main peak of the time of year , which occurs around August - September .
Sandy is currently 65 mile ( 100 km ) south of Kingston , Jamaica , and a hurricane word of advice has been issued by the Jamaican government . weather are already drop there as the out bands of the tempest get before the tempest ’s center .
A hurricane word of advice is also in issue for certain provinces of Cuba that will potentially be in the way of life of the tempest as it actuate northward . A hurricane vigil and tropical storm word of advice are in force for the central and northwesterly Bahamas — the first means thathurricane conditionsare potential in the field within 36 to 48 hr , the 2d stand for that tropic tempest conditions are bear there in 24 to 36 hours .
Haiti is also under a tropical storm warning , as most of the important rainwater from the storm is on the hurricane ’s eastern side . Hurricane Sandy is expected to dump between 6 and 12 column inch ( 15 and 30 centimeters ) of rain on Jamaica , Haiti , the Dominican Republic and fortune of Cuba . Such torrential rains can cause twinkling floods , particularly in Haiti , which is hard bare of trees that would help slow down flowing pee .
Current NHC projections have Sandy remaining a hurricane as it pass over Jamaica and Cuba , but then weaken into a tropic tempest before it reaches the Bahamas . Storm intensity is notoriously difficult to prognosticate , however , and can change rapidly .
tempest surge is also a threat to many of the countries in Sandy ’s path . violent storm surge occurswhen a hurricane ’s idle words push the water surface up above normal pee level ; it can submerge coastal areas as the violent storm come ashore . Jamaica is look to see surge between 1 and 3 feet ( 0.3 and 1 meter ) above normal tide level ; southeast Cuba could see between 3 and 5 metrical foot ( 1 and 1.5 m ) and the Bahamas between 5 and 8 feet ( 1.5 and 2.4 m ) .
The impacts of Sandy to the East Coast next week are still uncertain , but a tropic storm watch is in effect for role of the Florida Keys and Florida ’s east seacoast . These areas could see 1 to 3 inch ( 2.5 to 8 cm ) of rainwater from the violent storm .
This tarradiddle was provided byOurAmazingPlanet , a sister site to LiveScience .
