Hurricane tracker reveals 'remarkable change' in Sara's path as storm gets overnight upgrade

Storm Sara has made a 'remarkable change' overnight arsenic it moved into the Gulf of Mexico.

The upwind lawsuit was initially connected headed toward Florida, perchance upgrading to a Category 2 hurricane, but made landfall connected Honduras arsenic a tropical tempest aboriginal Friday morning.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued an alert contiguous saying that dense rainfall volition origin 'catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides' implicit Central America. 

And by Friday morning, Sara was located just southbound of the land of Roatan.

The tempest volition apt crook northwest and drench Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. But forecasters said it astir apt won’t reemerge into the Gulf aft crossing the Yucatan.

The NHC besides noted that adjacent if Sara emerges from the Gulf, the situation 'is not favorable for redevelopment.' 

Meteorologist Tomer Burg said connected X that 'the multi-model statement nary longer has Sara affecting Florida arsenic a tropical cyclone—a singular alteration from conscionable 2 days ago erstwhile models consistently showed a large hurricane successful the Gulf of Mexico.' 

Forecasters said that portion Florida has been spared, the little Florida Keys whitethorn spot fringe impacts of rainfall adjacent week.

The unpredictable way of Sara has changed dramatically this week.

Sara was expected to scope hurricane presumption by 7pm ET Thursday, reaching a Category 3 presumption 2 days aboriginal and hitting Florida by Wednesday adjacent week arsenic a Category 2 hurricane, AccuWeather meteorologists predicted.

However, a recently released spaghetti exemplary - alleged due to the fact that the lines lucifer strands of pasta - showed Sara curving done Central America done midnight connected Monday.

But the upwind speeds could widen outward up to 105 miles from its center, bringing rainfall to Florida adjacent though the tempest won't straight deed the state.

Meteorologist Nikki Nolan told CBS News that contempt the storm's caller path, 'Florida residents should intimately show the forecast updates arsenic they travel in.'

Sara is expected to unleash 5 to 10 inches of rainfall crossed Belize, El Salvador, eastbound Guatemala, occidental Nicaragua and the Mexican authorities of Quintana Roo. 

The NHC forecast said isolated areas of Honduras should expect up to 30 inches of rainfall which could pb to life-threatening floods and landslides. 

'Interests elsewhere successful Belize, and the Yucatan Peninsula should show the advancement of this system,' the NHC said connected Friday morning.

'Storm surge could rise h2o levels by arsenic overmuch arsenic 1 to 3 feet supra mean tide levels on the contiguous seashore successful areas of onshore winds on the bluish seashore of Honduras and Guatemala,' the bureau continued.

'Near the coast, the surge volition beryllium accompanied by ample and destructive waves.' 

The Caribbean Sea has been a hotspot for tropical tempest and hurricane improvement this play owed to its warmer-than-average temperatures that extends 300 to 400 feet beneath the ocean's surface.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an mean hurricane play produces 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 large hurricanes.

However, the bureau did foretell earlier this twelvemonth that determination would beryllium an 'above average' fig of storms.

Sara is the 18th named tempest of the 2024 hurricane play and is the 3rd named this period owed to record-breaking lukewarm waters successful the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.