Shortly before Hurricane Lisa arrived, the authorities in the Central American country of Belize set up emergency shelters and closed airports. Nationwide, people are called upon to prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and floods, the civil protection agency Nemo said on Wednesday. It is advisable to create water supplies and secure the houses and apartments.
The cyclone was expected to make landfall near Belize City. “Lisa” had reached hurricane strength around 165 kilometers from Belize City on Wednesday morning (local time), according to the US hurricane center in Miami.
With sustained wind speeds of 120 kilometers per hour, the lowest Category 1 hurricane swept across the Caribbean near the Honduran island of Roatan. The storm is likely to gain some strength on its way to the small 400,000-inhabitant country of Belize, the statement said.
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Bay Islands in Honduras, the entire coast of Belize and the stretch of coast between Chetumal and Costa Maya in southeastern Mexico. The effects of the storm are also likely to be felt in Guatemala.
