BLOWING UP

Tropical Storm Ian Intensifies Into Hurricane as It Heads for Florida

Evacuations are set to get underway in Cuba on Monday as the storm approaches.

Tropical Storm Ian has strengthened into a hurricane as it barrels toward Cuba and Florida over the next few days. Forecasters say Ian will rapidly intensify into a major hurricane as soon as late Monday, with authorities in Cuba suspending classes and beginning evacuations before the storm hits the western part of the island. A likely landfall in Florida is expected around the middle of the week. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency with fears that floods, rainfall, and powerful winds are set to sweep across the region. “We’re going to keep monitoring the track of this storm,” DeSantis said at a news conference Sunday. “But it really is important to stress the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” he said, adding: “Even if you’re not necessarily right in the eye of the path of the storm, there’s going to be pretty broad impacts throughout the state.”