At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Nate was located near latitude 14.9 North, longitude 84.3 West. Nate is moving toward the north-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days with a significant increase in forward speed. On the forecast track, the center of Nate should move across eastern Honduras this evening and over the northwestern Caribbean Sea tonight and Friday. The center is then expected to move near or over the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and the adjacent islands late Friday or Friday night, and move into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is likely once the center moves over the northwestern Caribbean Sea tonight and Friday, and Nate could be near hurricane strength as the center approaches the Yucatan Peninsula.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) mainly to the northeast of the center.