Tropical storm warnings were posted on Thursday for Florida and Cuba as the system that battered Mexico moves to the east.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm once known as Agatha in the Pacific Ocean will be known as Alex in the Atlantic Ocean basin. The tropical storm warning extends from Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast across the southern Florida peninsula, including Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Keys.
The U.S. National Weather Service says the Cuban government has issued a tropical storm watch for the provinces of Matanzas, Mayabeque, La Habana, Artemisa, Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth.
“Heavy rains will begin to affect South Florida and the Keys Friday and continue through Saturday,” the Hurricane Center said in an online post. Also predicted is storm surge and flooding, the severity of which depends on the timing of tides, the Associated Press reported.