At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Nate waslocated inland over eastern Honduras near latitude 15.3 North,longitude 84.5 West. Nate is moving toward the north-northwest near10 mph (17 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue during thenext couple of days with a significant increase in forward speed.On the forecast track, the center of Nate will continue to move overeastern Honduras this evening and over the northwestern CaribbeanSea tonight and Friday. The center is then expected to move near orover the northeastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula and the adjacentislands late Friday or Friday night, and move into the Gulf ofMexico on Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts.Strengthening is likely once the center moves over the northwesternCaribbean Sea tonight and Friday, and Nate could be near hurricanestrength 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.