Tropical Storm Ian eyes Florida, could bring rain and wind to North Carolina next week

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — With Hurricane Fiona gone, the focus turns south to Tropical Storm Ian, which is threatening to make landfall in the United States as a strong hurricane.

Tropical Storm Ian is was located about 300 miiles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The storm had maximum sustained winds at 45 miles per hour and was moving west at 15 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ian still has a lot of time before it threatens North Carolina (which means a lot could change in the forecast), but early estimates say we could start getting rain from the system on Friday.

Until then, Ian is expected to strengthen over the next few days as it moves into the central Caribbean Sea and threatens the Cayman Islands.

The storm will then make a turn to the north and northeast, putting Florida in the storm’s crosshairs.

Forecasters say Ian could be a category 2 or 3 system when it hits Florida toward the middle of next week.