Jamaica, Cayman Islands issue hurricane watches

MIAMI, Aug 26 (Reuters) The governments of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands issued hurricane watches today as Tropical Storm Ernesto threatened to become a hurricane aimed at the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The Miami-based hurricane center said Ernesto, the fifth storm of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season, could be near hurricane strength as it passed by Jamaica tomorrow.

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