Tropical Storm Earl Upgrades to Category 1 Hurricane

Tropical Storm Earl was upgraded to a category one hurricane this afternoon at three o’clock having reached maximum winds at seventy-five miles per hour. It is forecasted that the first hurricane to head for Belize in this season, will strengthen to eighty miles per hour and landfall is expected later tonight in the area of Burrell Boom and Sand Hill, in the Belize District.  Winds are now at one hundred and forty miles from the storm’s center and it is moving at fourteen miles per hours. The category one hurricane is expected to bring eight to twelve inches of rain which can cause flash floods and mud slides. While the entire country is at risk, the northern half of Belize is expected to experience the brunt of the hurricane. Tonight we have detailed coverage of the category one hurricane and we go first to Met Office for the latest projections:

Meteorologist

“We have the six p.m. position. Hurricane Earl was centred near seventeen point three degrees north latitude, eighty-three point nine west longitude. With respect to some points on the mainland of Belize City, it is forty-three miles east by north of Half Moon Caye, eighty-two miles south east by east of San Pedro Ambergris Caye, ninety miles east by north of Dangriga, eighty-seven miles east by south of Belize City, a hundred and twenty-four miles south east by east of Corozal Town and a hundred and fifty-two miles north east by east of Punta Gorda Town. Earl continues moving towards the west at fourteen miles per hour, but some decreasing forward is still expected during the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. On this track, Earl will continue to pass north of the Bay Islands and then make landfall across central Belize tonight. Maximum sustained winds were seventy-five miles per hour with higher gusts and some strengthening is still possible by the time Earl reaches the coast. The hurricane will produce rainfall accumulations of eight to twelve inches over Belize with possible higher amounts. These rains could cause flash floods and mudslides especially over higher terrains. For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low lying areas. We should be getting some effects, at least at the outer islands and this will increase over the coast as we go later on into the night.”