NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON WEDNESDAY 3RD AUGUST, 2016 AT 6 PM.
AT 5PM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.1° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 86.0° WEST OR ABOUT 70 MILES EAST OF ISLA ROATAN, HONDURAS AND ABOUT 150 MILES EAST OF BELIZE CITY.
EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 14 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH SOME DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK, THE CORE OF EARL IS EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS, THEN MAKE LANDFALL IN BELIZE TONIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS, HOWEVER, EARL IS EXPECTED TO BE A HURRICANE BY THE TIME IT REACHES BELIZE. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER THE CENTER OF EARL MOVES INLAND.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT MIDNIGHT.
PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: SHEZELLE MATHER 3RD AUGUST 2016, 5:45 PM
