And finally, turning back to Tropical Storm Franklin, we spoke to the MET Office a short while ago about the 6:00 pm report. That places the storm' center 120 miles east of Chetumal, moving northwest with maximum winds of 60 miles per hour.
We asked about the significance of the storm jogging slightly north and what it means for northern Belize:...
Catherine Cumberbatch - Chief Meteorologist
"As of 6pm the center of Tropical Storm Franklin was centered near 18.8 degrees north, 86.5 degrees west, or we could put that 143 miles northeast of Belize City and 126 miles east by north of Corozal Town and 133 miles east northeast of San Pedro Ambergris Caye."
"Franklin has shift a bit and is now moving towards the northwest at 13 miles per hour with maximum sustain winds remaining at 60 miles per hour."
"We have tropical force winds extends out to 145 miles and these winds are located mostly to the north and east of the center of Tropical Storm Franklin."
"The system is still expected to become near hurricane strength by time it makes landfall tonight and we still have a tropical storm warning remain in effect for the coast of Belize from Belize City northward to the border of Mexico."
"The northern part of the country is still favorable to experience tropical storm force winds when the system makes landfall sometime later tonight along north of the border in Quintana Roo. That is where the system is expected to make landfall around midnight into early Tuesday morning. So those areas in the extreme north of the country is still expected to get some form of tropical storm force winds. As I said the spiral band from this system is expected to have tropical storm force winds extends way out when it cross the area and some of this could affect the extreme north of the country."
And so, to wrap it up tonight. Tropical Storm Franklin remains a threat to northern Belize, and a Tropical Storm warning remains in effect for Belize District to the northern border. The red 2 warning is flying throughout these areas.
The Department of Civil Aviation ordered Phillip Goldson International Airport to close operations at 5pm today meaning that the second United Airlines and Southwest flight were cancelled for today.
It will be reopened when there is an all clear.
7News for Monday, August 7th, 2017 from 7News Belize on Vimeo.
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