The hurricane was forecast to continue westwards into largely rural northern Guatemala and then, as a weaker storm, into Mexico’s southern states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatan.
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Heavy rain and whipping winds are battering Belize, but with Earl’s landfall and interaction with land, the storm will quickly weaken.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico south to the border of Belize and Guatemala.
The storm, which formed yesterday, is expected to reach hurricane force by the time it hits the coast of Belize late tonight or early Thursday morning.
Tropical storm conditions will reach Belize and Mexico within the hurricane and tropical storm warning area by Wednesday night or early Thursday.
Employees of the Caribbean Villas Hotel, in San Pedro on Belize’s Ambergris Caye, pulled in beach chairs and chaise lounges as rain began to fall on the popular beach resort.
Rainfall warnings of 8 to 12 inches are possible along Earl’s path in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and southern Mexico, including the Yucatan Peninsula.
‘For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low-lying areas’. Officials said a big wave capsized a lobster fishing boat in the Caribbean, but all but two of the 83 people on board were rescued.
Officials have ordered the closure of the city’s worldwide airport while archaeological reserves and national parks were also shut.
In eastern Honduras, 88 shipwrecked fishermen were rescued in La Mosquitia, while two are still missing, Luis Florentino, deputy chief of emergency agency COPECO, said by telephone.
The storm knocked over a large numbers of trees and utility poles in Honduras, officials say. The Belize Tourism Board announced that cruise ship calls had been canceled for this week.
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Six people were killed in the Dominican Republic Sunday into Monday because of this system passing near the island. At 1200 PM EDT (1600 UTC), the center of Earl was located near latitude 16.3 North, longitude 80.2 West. Earl is moving toward the west near 22 miles per hour (35 km/h), and this motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.
