The Jamaica Meteorological Service advised small vessels to return to shore as the storm moved west with strong winds and heavy rain.
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A tropical storm warning/hurricane watch is in effect from Punta Allen, Mexico, south to the Belize-Guatemala border.
Shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, the storm was centered about 450 miles east of Belize City in the Caribbean.
Tropical Storm Earl has formed in the Caribbean and is headed toward Mexico and parts of Central America, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Tuesday.
“The storm is cylindrical, it is getting better organized and further strengthening is possible as the movement continues”, said AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno. Tropical-storm-force winds extended up to 90 miles north of the storm’s center.
The last Earl grew into a hurricane that passed well off the North Carolina’s Outer Banks, but still caused flooding across the state and battered a big swath of the East Coast with waves and high winds.
According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Earl is expected to pass just north of Honduras Bay Island on Wednesday afternoon and then draw into Belizean waters on Wednesday night into Thursday.
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As of Tuesday, Earl was tracked moving westward at 22 mph, which is expected to slow over the next 24 to 48 hours as the storm approaches land. Meanwhile, the Sister Island were not expected to be impacted by the stormy weather.
