A tropical storm that left six dead in the Dominican Republic is expected to hit the southern part of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Belize later today.
Meteorologists are warning storm Earl is likely to have developed into a full-blown hurricane by the time it next makes landfall.
It is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain, and low lying areas of both Belize and the Mexican state of Quintana Roo could experience coastal flooding and beach erosion. Up to 16 inches of rain is expected in some areas.
Officials have warned that power cuts are possible and trees might be blown over.
Torrential rainfall and gusty winds are expected to continue in the region until Thursday.
The storm has already battered the Dominican Republic and swept across Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
It is possible it might sweep back out to sea later this week, before returning to land on Friday or over the weekend, potentially hitting the northeast of Mexico, say forecasters.
