‘Tiny' Oscar intensifies into Category 1 hurricane, moves toward Cuba

"Tiny" Oscar intensified into a hurricane Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

Oscar formed near the Turks and Caicos, and is currently located about 165 miles east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas and about 470 miles east of Camaguey, Cuba, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m. advisory. It is moving west at 12 mph.

2pm EDT Oct 19th -- A special advisory has been issued upgrading #Oscar to a #hurricane with sustained winds of 80 mph with an updated intensity forecast.

Hurricane Warnings are now in effect for the Turks and Caicos Islands & the Southeast Bahamas. pic.twitter.com/yPT2NJsj7Q

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 19, 2024

Warnings and watches in effect

Hurricane warning

• Turks and Caicos Islands
• Southeastern Bahamas

Hurricane watch

• Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin and Las Tunas

Tropical storm watch

• Cuban province of Camaguey

Oscar is forecast to continue westward before it gets pulled into a frontal boundary and turns to the north and east.

This will move it away from the United States.

There is only a 24-hour window for Oscar to strengthen any more before it moves into shear, but there could be heavy rain for the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Cuba.

Rainfall totals could be up to 6 inches.