The outer bands of Hurricane Earl were spreading drenching rain over Belize on Wednesday night, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The Category 1 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 kph), is expected to make landfall early Thursday in Belize.
The hurricane center said the storm will weaken after it reaches land.
Hurricane Earl was 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Belize City, the hurricane center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory.
The storm was pushing west at 15 mph (24 kph).
After landfall the storm was forecast to move over the southern Yucatan Peninsula or northern Guatemala on Thursday.
A hurricane warning is in place from Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, south to the Belize-Guatemala border. A tropical storm warning was in effect north of Puerto Costa Maya to Punta Allen.
Hurricane force winds only extend 15 miles from the center of the storm but tropical storm-force winds reach out 140 miles (225 km).
Over a foot of rain is possible and will bring the threat of flooding and landslides in higher terrain. Other areas could get between 8 and 12 inches of rain.
Shore areas close to the center of the storm will experience 4 to 6 feet of storm surge.
