A system in the Caribbean Sea has become Tropical Storm Lisa. It’s expected to become a hurricane before making landfall in Central America this week.
NOAA hurricane hunters on Monday morning investigated Lisa, which has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts.
Lisa is the 12th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. It is not a threat to Florida.
Where is Lisa now and where is it going?
As of the hurricane center’s advisory at 11 a.m. Monday, Tropical Storm Lisa was about 175 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 365 miles southeast of Grand Cayman. The system is forecast to pass to the south of Jamaica Monday and the Cayman Islands on Tuesday.
Forecasters expect Jamaica, which is under a tropical storm watch, could start to feel tropical storm conditions Monday. The tropical storm watch for the Cayman Islands was discontinued at 11 a.m. Monday.
Once the system turns into Lisa, as is forecast, the hurricane center expects it will continue strengthening as it moves west to west-northwest at 14 mph over the Caribbean’s warm waters.
The hurricane center’s forecast shows it as a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday before making landfall in Central America, possibly in Belize.
“Interests along the coast of Central America, especially near Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, should monitor the progress of this system,” the hurricane center said. “Additional watches and warnings will likely be required by late today.”
