NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON WEDNESDAY 3RD AUGUST, 2016 AT 12PM.
EARL NOT A HURRICANE YET BUT EXPECTED TO BE ONE VERY SOON
AT 11AM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.5° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 84.4° WEST OR ABOUT 120 MILES EAST OF ISLA ROATAN HONDURAS AND ABOUT 235 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST 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 THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN MAKE LANDFALL IN BELIZE TONIGHT OR EARLY THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS OR SO, AND EARL IS EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE STRONGER BY THE TIME IT REACHES BELIZE. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER THE CENTER OF EARL MOVES INLAND.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM.
PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: K. WARD-FORBES
