A tropical disturbance in the Caribbean is likely to become a hurricane as it passes over Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico by midweek, federal forecasters said Sunday. The Air's Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, using Super Hercules fixed-wing aircraft, got a close look Sunday, the hurricane center said in an afternoon forecast discussion. Still, the upward movement of warm air and precipitation wasn't intense enough to call the disturbance a tropical depression, the hurricane center said. At 39 mph it becomes a tropical storm, which could happen early Tuesday, according to hurricane center forecasts. Storm threatsIn the meantime, the hurricane center said, hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours on the Cayman Islands.

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Persons: Philip Klotzbach, Rafael, Sara, It's, Kim Wood Organizations: National Hurricane Center, Air's Force, Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Colorado State University, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, University of Arizona, Hurricane, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Caribbean, Cuba, Gulf, Mexico, Florida, Kingston , Jamaica, of Mexico, Gulf Coast, Atlantic, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Gulf of Mexico