T.S. Michelle still too close for comfort

The collective sigh of relief was almost audible today as repeated reports indicated that Tropical Storm Michelle, still gaining strength in the Gulf of Honduras, is maintaining her northerly path. The latest tropical update has Michelle’s centre at seventeen point zero north, eighty-three point eight west or two hundred and eighty-five miles east of Belize. Michelle’s winds are now sixty-five miles an hour. But the system is still moving very slowly, a mere five miles an hour, and let’s face it, she’s still too close for comfort. This afternoon, the National Emergency Management Organisation issued the preliminary preparedness phase one quadrant. At various spots countrywide, including the Supreme Court building in Belize City, red flags are already flying. Earlier this evening, News 5 spoke with Meteorologist Justin Hulse, who says Michelle might be hiding a few surprises, so don’t unpack just yet.

Justin Hulse, Meteorologist

“If she takes a westerly track, then it could hit Belize. On its track, it’s going to the Yucatan Channel and possibly affect maybe western Cuba or maybe the U.S., Florida. Even after saying all that, I think we still should monitor this thing very closely, because it’s close. It’s only a few hundred miles away and we don’t want any surprises. That is the reason why NEMO has issued the preliminary phase.”

Michelle has already dumped as much as two feet of rain in parts of Cuba. The tropical storm is expected to intensify into a hurricane sometime tonight given the highly favourable conditions in the gulf.