Tropical Storm Earl has formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Earl is located about 200 miles S of Grand Caymen and about 450 miles east of Belize City. Earl is moving west at 16 mph and will continue moving generally west with a decrease in forward speed over the next few days. On this track, the center of Earl will pass just north of the Honduras Bay Islands Wednesday afternoon and approach Belize early Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast, and Earl could be near hurricane strength as it approaches Belize and the Yucatan peninsula.
Earl will likely lose strength moving over parts of Belize, Guatemala, and the Yucatan Peninsula but could regain strength as it moves into southern portions of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday.
5:00 PM EDT Tue Aug 2
Location: 16.4°N 81.5°W
Moving: W at 16 mph
Min pressure: 1002 mb
Max sustained: 50 mph
