A strengthening Tropical Storm Sandy is closing on Jamaica, bringing blustery winds and bouts of rain to the island.
Early Wednesday, Sandy was kicking up winds of 70 mph and was about 120 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica and is expected to make landfall this afternoon. The National Hurricane Center in Miami expects the storm to become a hurricane by Wednesday afternoon. A storm becomes a hurricane when its winds get to 74 mph.
The forecast map shows Sandy reaching eastern Cuba by early Thursday before heading to the Bahamas. Tropical storm and hurricane warnings are up across the region. It's not expected to hit the United States.