Hurricane Nadine made landfall just hours after becoming a named storm by the US National Hurricane Center, according to the latest storm update from Fox Weather.
Hurricane Nadine, previously named Tropical Depression 15 by the US National Hurricane Center, was located just off the coast of Belize early on October 19.
As the storm makes landfall, a tropical storm warning is in effect from Belize City in Belize to popular Mexican tourist destinations Cancun and Cozumel.
Hurricane Nadine moved inland across Central America around noon on October 19, bringing gusty winds and heavy rain. Wind gusts of 82 km/h were recorded in Cancun as Nadine approached on the morning of October 19.
Hurricane forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center say Hurricane Nadine has the potential to cause devastating flooding.
Widespread heavy rains of 130-200mm are forecast across Belize, northern Guatemala and southern Mexican states from Quintana Roo to Veracruz early next week.
The latest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season following Hurricane Milton is expected to weaken as it moves across northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico, according to Fox Weather's latest forecast.
"Nadine is not a long-lived tropical storm. The hurricane forecast models agree that Nadine will continue to move across southern Mexico and Central America, then end up in the eastern Pacific," Fox Weather forecaster Jane Minar said.
The latest storm of the 2024 hurricane season does not threaten the United States. The New York Times reported that the storm is expected to bring heavy rain to Mexico, Belize and Guatemala this weekend.
Hurricane Nadine formed in the northwest Caribbean Sea, near Belize, late on October 18, becoming the 14th named storm of this year's Atlantic hurricane season.
Although Nadine is a short-lived storm, forecasters warn of heavy rains as the storm makes landfall.
Shortly after Nadine, the U.S. National Hurricane Center is expected to issue a tropical storm advisory soon for Oscar, a potential storm that has a 90 percent chance of forming and is approaching the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to Fox 35's latest hurricane report. At 9:15 a.m. on October 19, Oscar — then known as Invest 94L — was less than 100 miles east of the islands.
Oscar is not a threat to Florida because it is being held back and pushed away by a cold front, Fox 35 meteorologist Brooks Garner said. However, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the southeastern Bahamas and eastern Cuba should monitor developments as the storm develops.
Forecasters predict a strong Atlantic hurricane season in 2024. After a long lull early in the season, storms have formed in the basin since September 9, with six of them becoming hurricanes. Some, like Kirk and Leslie, have formed and strengthened offshore, but three major storms have already made landfall in the United States.
First, Hurricane Francine hit Louisiana as a Category 2 storm. Then, Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend in late September, bringing catastrophic rains to the Appalachian region. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, becoming the fifth hurricane to make landfall along the Gulf Coast this year.
