T.S. Lisa Forms In Western Caribbean, Could Hit Belize & Mexico

[Webster]

AccuWeather: Tropical Storm Lisa forms, could become a hurricane before hitting Central America

Tropical Storm Lisa formed in the western Caribbean on Monday, and the newly formed storm could reach hurricane intensity before making landfall late Wednesday in Central America, AccuWeather meteorologists say.

As of 11 p.m. EDT Monday, Lisa was located about 290 miles (515 km) south-southeast of Grand Cayman Island. Lisa's maximum sustained winds were 45 mph (75 km/h), and the system was moving to the west at a speed of 12 mph (19 km/h). The tropical storm watch that had been in place for Jamaica was cancelled late Monday evening. However, a tropical storm watch was in effect for the north coast of Honduras from Punta Castilla to the Guatemala border, Guatemala from the Honduran border to Puerto Barrios and Mexico from Chetumal to Punta Herrero. Tropical storm warnings were in effect in Honduras for the Bay Islands as well as from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Punta Castilla. As of Monday evening, a hurricane watch was also in place for the Bay Islands as well as the Belize coast from north of Puerto Barrios to south of Chetumal. Tropical storm force winds extended outward to 105 miles (165 km) from the center.

Forecasters have been suggesting since the middle of October that a tropical storm could brew in the region around the end of the month or during early November. On Sunday, as the system began to steadily organize, AccuWeather meteorologists began to refer to the budding storm as a tropical rainstorm in order to help people in the projected path of the storm to begin preparations. Early on Sunday evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) dubbed the system Potential Tropical Cyclone 15.