JAMAICANS are being encouraged to brace for heavy rain and strong winds today as an area of disturbed weather now over the central Caribbean Sea heads towards the island.

Up to press time on Sunday the Meteorological Service of Jamaica was reporting that this system could develop into a tropical storm and could form south of the island.

“Unstable weather, windy conditions and increased rainfall are expected mainly across north-eastern and southern parishes starting on Monday afternoon,” said the Met Service.

It added that periods of showers and thunderstorms should be expected across sections of most parishes with windy conditions mainly across southern parishes.

But the United States National Hurricane Center went further as it warned that “interests in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands should monitor the progress of this system as tropical storm watches or warnings could become necessary”.

The US entity added that, “The system is forecast to move west-north-westward at 10 to 15 mph over the central and north-western Caribbean Sea over the next several days. Regardless of development, locally heavy rainfall is possible over portions of the Lesser Antilles, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and Jamaica during the next couple of days.”