Circulation 97-L was upgraded to a tropical storm on Tuesday morning after the Hurricane Hunter air-craft generated proof of sustained winds at tropical storm strength.

Tropical Storm Earl is currently headed for Central America with a pressure in the center of the storm at 991 millibars.  Earl may strengthen into a hurricane before he makes landfall.  He isn’t likely to strengthen very much once he reaches the gulf.  The maximum sustained winds are 70 mph, a tropical storm. As you may recall from the Saffir-Simpson Scale, the requisite wind strength to be categorized a Hurricane is 74 miles-per-hour.

Mexico and Belize are right in the anticipated storm track.  The storm is expected to make landfall in Belize, where a tropical storm warning is in effect.  Parts of Honduras are also under a tropical storm warning.  The storm is expected to make landfall on Thursday, bringing heavy rainfall, flooding, and high winds.

Read the NHC Discussion