ATLANTA, Georgia — The National Hurricane Center has upgraded PTC 19 to Tropical Depression Nineteen in the Caribbean Sea. It is forecast to become the next tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season before reaching Central America.
The area of low pressure is currently in the Caribbean, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and higher gusts.
This is forecast to become Tropical Storm Sara by Thursday.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for parts of coastal Honduras. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for northern coastal Nicaragua.
This is going to be a big rain-maker in Central America! Rain amounts of 10 to 20 inches are likely in Honduras, where life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides are likely. Other areas in Central America could see 5 to 10 inches, including Nicaragua, Belize, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
The latest spaghetti models show the storm entering the Gulf of Mexico. It is still too early for models to agree on direction and strength. We will keep you updated on this storm and the potential impacts that it could have in the United States.
Sara would become the 18th named storm of this hurricane season in the Atlantic.
November hurricanes are rare. The last storm to make landfall in the United States in this month was Hurricane Nicole in 2022.