It's late in the hurricane season, but a tropical storm is gaining strength in the Caribbean and is poised to make a turn toward Cuba this weekend, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Thursday.

Tropical Storm Paloma grew from a tropical depression overnight and was centered about 210 miles south of Grand Cayman with 65-mph maximum sustained winds. Cayman government officials issued a hurricane warning for the islands.

The storm is projected to stay on a northern path Friday, but it will likely head northeast by Saturday, toward the Cayman Islands and Cuba.

Paloma's track would bring it near the Cayman Islands on Saturday and onto the southern coast of central Cuba sometime Sunday.

Paloma is tracking over warm water, and forecasters said it will continue to strengthen and could become a hurricane by late Thursday or early Friday.

But the storm's window for intensification closes after Saturday night, when Paloma will encounter strong wind shear that could significantly weaken its might.

Paloma is the 16th named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.

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