NEWS ITEM ON HURRICANE EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM THURSDAY 04TH AUGUST 2016.
EARL IS WEAKENING AS IT MOVES FARTHER INLAND OVER BELIZE
AT 5 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF EARLWAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 17.3°NORTH AND LONGITUDE 88.9° WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BELIZE CITY.
EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 15 MPH AND A TURN TOWARDS THE WEST-NORTHWEST AND A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF EARL IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN BELIZE THIS MORNING, MOVE ACROSS GUATEMALA AND THE SOUTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA LATER TODAY, AND BE NEAR OR OVER THE SOUTHERN BAY OF CAMPECHE FRIDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 75 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS, AND ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER MOVES FARTHER INLAND. EARL IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL STORM LATER THIS MORNING AND TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY FRIDAY MORNING.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT NOON.
PREPARED BY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE
04@5:58AM
