Floridians can relax.
Tropical Storm Sara is unlikely to pose a threat to the Sunshine State or other parts of the U.S. coast, and the storm will weaken quickly and dissipate as it passes over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula this weekend, forecasters said Friday. Ta.
Previous forecast tracks showed the storm strengthening before making a sharp turn northeast toward Florida, with little interaction with land.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center predict that “Sara should move inland over Belize on Sunday before rapidly weakening as it moves across the Yucatan Peninsula.” “NHC’s prediction is that it will dissipate over 72 hours.”
As of 4 p.m. Saturday, Sara was located 40 miles west-northwest of Roatan, Honduras, with winds of 45 mph and moving west at 5 mph. The hurricane center said the storm “basically stopped moving” Friday night before moving slightly earlier Saturday afternoon. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 165 miles from the center.
The center of the storm is expected to enter the Gulf of Honduras on Saturday and make landfall in Belize on Sunday without any major changes in strength, according to the Hurricane Center. After making landfall, Sara is expected to rapidly weaken and become a pressure trough that will pass over the southern Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday night or Monday.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Honduras from west of Punta Castilla to the Honduras-Guatemala border. Bay Islands of Honduras. Guatemala’s Caribbean coast. Belize coast. Then south from Puerto Costa Maya on the Mexican coast to Chetumal.
The hurricane center said “catastrophic flooding and landslides” continued in parts of Central America.
Moisture from Sara’s debris is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico early next week and be swept into Florida, where rain is expected but rainforest conditions may not be seen.
Hurricane season continues until November 30th.
First published: November 16, 2024 at 8:00 AM EST
