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, is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday in Belize.
The hurricane center said the storm could strengthen before the center of the storm reaches land.
Hurricane Earl was 85 miles (137 kilometers) east-southeast of Belize City, the hurricane center said in its 8 p.m. ET. report.
The storm was pushing west at 14 mph (23 kph).
A hurricane warning is in place from Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico, south to the Belize-Guatemala border, as well as the Bay Islands in Honduras.
Over a foot of rain is possible and will bring the threat of flooding and landslides in higher terrain.
Shore areas close to the center of the storm will experience 4 to 6 feet of storm surge.
