Tropical Storm Ian could grow into a hurricane later today, impacting both Cuba and Florida. "Ian" could also stop the NASA mission "Artemis", which is supposed to start on Tuesday after many mishaps.
An increasingly stronger tropical storm is heading for Cuba and the US state of Florida. Storm "Ian" is expected to become a hurricane this Monday and will continue to gain strength as a result, the US hurricane center NHC said on Sunday (local time). It is expected that the storm center will first pass over or near the Cayman Islands and from Tuesday night (local time) over or near western Cuba.
Significantly strong winds and storm surges are expected in the western part of Cuba, it said. The water level there could rise up to four meters above normal. The area around the capital Havana was also affected by tropical storm conditions. The expected large amounts of rain could cause flash floods and mudslides in higher areas of both Cuba and Jamaica.
According to the information, heavy rain, flash floods and flooding are also expected in Florida by the middle of the week, first in the Florida Keys island chain and then further north. The governor of the southeastern US state, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency as a precaution and called on the population to take precautions. US President Joe Biden, who wanted to travel to Florida for a campaign event on Tuesday, postponed the trip because of the storm.
"Ian" also messes up the most recent plans of the US space agency NASA for the moon mission "Artemis". The launch of an unmanned test rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida, scheduled for Tuesday, had already been canceled on Saturday. Now, on Monday, the final decision should be made as to whether the rocket with the "Orion" capsule at the top will be moved from its current position on the launchpad back to the hangar, NASA announced on Sunday evening (local time).
The experts would monitor the storm forecast closely, the authority said. At the same time, preparations were underway for a possible return of the rocket to the hangar. This is done to protect their own employees and equipment.
The problem-plagued moon mission "Artemis" is still under time pressure, because the current launch window closes on October 4th, according to NASA. A further planning window provides for a possible launch of the rocket between 17th and 31st October. About three weeks ago, two attempts to start had failed - among other things because of a leaking tank hose.
