Hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for parts of Honduras and Nicaragua, according to the National Hurricane Center

Hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been issued for parts of Honduras and Nicaragua The latest update from the National Hurricane Center. The NHC said Wednesday afternoon that a disturbance in the Caribbean is likely to become the youngest tropical depression or storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and is expected to “intensify and cause life-threatening flooding in parts of Central America.”

Where is it now and where is it going?

According to the NHC, showers and thunderstorms associated with an extensive low pressure area in the central Caribbean Sea increased Wednesday afternoon.

“The system is expected to become a tropical storm within the next day or so and bring tropical storm or hurricane conditions to land areas within the next 36 to 48 hours.” the NHC said in its latest forecast discussion.

The Honduran government has issued a hurricane warning from Punta Castilla east toward the Honduras-Nicaragua border.

The Nicaraguan government has issued a tropical storm warning from the Honduras-Nicaragua border south to Puerto Cabezas.

The NHC said it expects “heavy rains to cause significant, life-threatening flash floods and mudslides” in parts of Central America, particularly Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, eastern Guatemala and western Nicaragua, by early next week.

The weather system could be at or near hurricane strength early next week as the hurricane approaches Belize and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

What are the chances of it becoming a tropical storm?

High. The hurricane’s center gave it a 90 percent chance of forming within 48 hours and the same chance of forming over seven days.

If it reached tropical storm strength, it would become Tropical Storm Sara – the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

There have been 17 named storms so far this season, 11 of which developed into hurricanes.

The most recent Hurricane Rafael hit Cuba last week and reached the Gulf of Mexico, where it dissipated over the weekend.