Tropical storms Martin and Lisa expected to become hurricanes; third storm could develop near Caribbean

Tropical storms Martin and Lisa are both forecast to become short-lived hurricanes Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said, and a third storm could develop by the weekend.

As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Lisa was located 175 miles east of Honduras and 285 miles east of Belize City, Belize. Forecasters said Lisa is expected to become a hurricane overnight Tuesday while moving over the northwestern Caribbean.

Martin formed Tuesday morning and was about 630 miles east-northeast of Bermuda, moving east at 13 mph as of 5 p.m. Martin is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday night before transitioning to a powerful extratropical system on Thursday, according to the center’s latest advisory.

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Martin was producing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as of 5 p.m., moving east at 13 mph. Its tropical-storm-force winds extended out 105 miles from its center.

Lisa was producing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and moving west at 15 mph. Its tropical-storm-force winds extended out 70 miles from its center.

Hurricane watches and tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect in areas of Honduras, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala as of Tuesday.

Lisa is expected to approach Central America by Wednesday. By Wednesday night, Lisa’s wind speeds will reach a maximum of 90 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane. It is expected to drop back to tropical storm strength, with top winds of 65 mph, once inland over southeastern Mexico Thursday, the center’s latest advisory said.

It could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain to this week to portions of the Cayman Islands and eastern Nicaragua.

Jamaica, Mexico’s eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Northern Honduras and Guatemala could see 2 to 4 inches of rain, with up to 6 inches in localized areas.

Belize, Honduras’ Bay Islands, northern Guatemala and part of southeastern Mexico could see flash flooding and 4 to 6 inches of rain, with localized totals of up to 10 inches, the National Hurricane Center said.

Neither storm poses a threat to Florida.

Forecasters are also monitoring a third possible storm, an area of low pressure in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. The area could move into the eastern Caribbean and develop over the weekend, the hurricane center said in its 8 p.m. advisory. The area has 20% chance of developing as it moves north.

There have been two hurricanes and two major hurricanes, meaning Category 3 or above, so far this season.

NOAA has predicted between two and six more hurricanes to form before hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30.

The next named storm to form will be Nicole.