Hurricane watch issued for Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples
Ian is expected to become major Category 3 hurricane Monday night with winds of 115 mph.
As Ian passes Cuba, it’s expected to rapidly intensify, becoming a Category 4 hurricane as it moves through the Gulf. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Cuba and the Cayman Islands.
![PHOTO: A weather map shows the areas from Cuba to western Florida under threat from Tropical Storm Ian which is expected to become a hurricane, Sept. 26, 2022.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/69c53f7b-b7de-433b-ad01-7b5d3ff988f6/map-ian-alerts-abc-ps-220926_1664194637171_hpEmbed_16x9.jpg)
Models are split when it comes to Ian’s landfall in Florida; impacts could be as far north as Panama City and as far south as Fort Myers.
Some models forecast landfall by Wednesday afternoon between Tampa and Fort Myers, while other models predict landfall at the end of the week near Panama City or Apalachicola.
![PHOTO: A weather map shows the forecasted track along western Florida under threat from Tropical Storm Ian which is expected to become a hurricane, Sept. 26, 2022.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/3464859e-79ac-40d5-a1da-6278f8f583dd/map-ian-forecast-mon-abc-ps-220926_1664194637167_hpEmbed_16x9.jpg)
Hurricane watches have been issued in Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo