NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016 AT 6PM.
TROPICAL STORM EARL EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS ON ITS WAY TO BELIZE
AT 5PM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.4° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 81.5° WEST OR ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND CAYMAN OR ABOUT 450 MILES EAST OF BELIZE CITY. EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. ON THIS TRACK, THE CORE OF EARL IS EXPECTED TO PASS JUST NORTH OF THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN BE VERY NEAR THE BELIZE COAST EARLY THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND EARL COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6AM.
PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE
ISSUED: 5:45PM ON TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016
