LATE-SEASON Hurricane Paloma strengthened into a Category 2 storm as it lashed the Cayman Islands with wind and rain yesterday, knocking down trees and signs.

Lights flickered across Grand Cayman, where tourists gathered on balconies and beaches to watch the storm whip up 10-foot waves.

The hurricane's centre was expected to pass near Grand Cayman between last night and this morning, then gain strength and punch a Cuba already suffering from billions of dollars in damage from two previous hurricanes this season.

Cuban official newspaper Granma, recalling past late-season hurricanes such as a 1932 storm that killed about 3,000 people, said Paloma poses "a potential danger for the island". The storm could grow into a Category 3 hurricane with winds of at least 111 mph (as it heads toward Cuba's midsection, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

Paloma's top winds yesterday were near 105 mph, and it was centred about 40 miles south of Grand Cayman, heading north at six mph.

Last night, Jamaica's National Meteorological Service maintained that the storm was not a direct threat to Jamaica but extended its flash flood warning until 5:00 this morning. It said the Doppler radar reported light to moderate showers and thunderstorms mainly in western parishes throughout yesterday.

The Met Service said as at 4:00 pm, the centre of the storm was about 400 kilometres west of Montego Bay.
"Paloma is moving toward the north-north-east at nearly 9 kph (5.5 mph). A turn towards the northeast is expected overnight and that general motion is expected for the next few days," the Met Office said.

It said on its projected path, the storm will remain more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) away from Jamaica's coastline as it passes near the Cayman Islands between last night and early this morning.

"The forecast is for periods of showers and thunderstorms to continue affecting mainly central and western parishes tonight (last night). Higher than normal waves are forecast to affect southern and western coastal areas as Paloma moves over the western Caribbean," the Met Office said, adding that a gradual reduction in rainfall is expected on Tuesday as this system moves over the Bahamas and farther away from Jamaica.

Fishers and other marine interests north and west of the island were also warned to exercise extreme caution and not venture far from the mainland.

Meanwhile, by late yesterday The Cayman Islands government had asked all hotels to remove guests from the ground and first floors. Nearly 40 people were already staying in the islands' seven shelters.

Water service across Grand Cayman was turned off, and power was expected to be cut as the storm neared, hazard management director Barbara Carby said.

"We have asked everybody to come off the streets and to be home and safe right now," she said.

Stranded tourists watched dark clouds gather from their hotels or beachfront restaurants.

"It was a real surprise," said Rick Douglas, a 50-year-old from Toronto who checked weather websites before flying to the Caribbean. "It just said there was a tropical depression starting, but I didn't think it would turn into anything serious."

Forecasters expect Paloma to weaken into a tropical storm over Cuba and then steer south of Florida through the Bahamas and into the Atlantic.

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