Earl becomes a bit stronger. It had top sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 kph) and was moving west at 16 miles per hour (26 kph).
Advertisement
“Interests in these areas and elsewhere in the western Caribbean Sea should continue to monitor the progress of this disturbance”, the NHC added.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning from Punta Allen, Mexico southward to the Belize/Guatemala Border. The government of Mexico has changed the Tropical Storm Warning and Hurricane Watch to a Hurricane Warning north of Belize City to Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico.
Heavy rain and gusty winds were expected to hit Jamaica and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday. Hurricane hunters investigated the strong tropical wave passing south of Jamaica and noticed a center of circulation.
Tropical storm conditions are likely to occur over Jamaica by this afternoon or evening, and could reach the Cayman Islands overnight.
Earl is moving westward at 20 mph and will be impacting Belize, Honduras, and the Mexican states in the Yucatan Peninsula during the next 24 hours.
A weather system that already has caused at least six deaths in the Dominican Republic has been designated as Tropical Storm Earl. Forecasters predict 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain could fall.
Advertisement
Earl is expected to remain well away from the United States and will have no impact on Eastern North Carolina.
