MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane watch has been issued for the coast of Belize as Tropical Storm Matthew in the southwestern Caribbean moves toward Central America.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Friday that Matthew has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). It was moving west at 17 mph (28 kph) and was about 275 miles (445 kilometers) east of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.
A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning also have been issued for parts of Nicaragua and Honduras. The center says the governments of Nicaragua and Honduras issued the alerts for the stretch from Puerto Cabezas to Limon, Honduras, including offshore islands.