Floridians can relax.
Tropical Storm Sara is unlikely to pose any threat to the Sunshine State or other parts of the U.S. coast, as forecasters said Friday that the storm will weaken quickly and then dissipate as it crosses Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula this weekend.
Previous forecast tracks showed less interaction with land, allowing the storm to strengthen before taking a sharp turn to the northeast toward Florida.
“After Sara moves inland over Belize on Sunday, it should quickly weaken while moving over the Yucatan Peninsula,” National Hurricane Center forecasters wrote in their forecast. “The NHC forecast calls for dissipation beyond 72 hours.”
As of 10 p.m. Friday, Sara was located 35 miles southwest of Isla Guanaja, Honduras, with wind speeds of 50 mph. Sara “basically stopped moving” and was stationary after crawling at 2 mph earlier in the day, the hurricane center said. Tropical-storm-force winds extend out 115 miles from the center.
The center of the storm will continue moving near the northern coast of Honduras, then move over land in Belize on Sunday, the hurricane center said. As long as Sara stays offshore of Honduras, it could strengthen slightly as it meanders close to the coast, but it is expected to weaken quickly after landfall.
Tropical storm warnings are in place for he Northern coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca on the northern coast of Honduras, westward to the Honduras-Guatemala border; the Bay Islands of Honduras; the Caribbean Sea coast of Guatemala; the coast of Belize; and from Puerto Costa Maya on the coast of Mexico, southward to Chetumal.
The hurricane center said “catastrophic flooding and mudslides” were ongoing Friday evening in parts of Central America.
Moisture from Sara’s remnants will move into the Gulf of Mexico early next week and be pushed toward Florida, which can expect to see rain but no tropical conditions.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
Originally Published: November 15, 2024 at 6:22 AM EST
