Hurricane Julia forms, approaches landfall in Nicaragua on Sunday morning

Shira Moolten, Victoria Ballard, Kenny Rosarion, Angie DiMichele, Steve Svekis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read

Tropical Storm Julia strengthened into a hurricane in the southern Caribbean on Saturday evening as it approached landfall in Nicaragua.

The storm formed Friday morning approaching the southern Caribbean, a path generally similar to the initial formation of Hurricane Ian.

But while Ian turned north toward the Gulf and then headed toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, Julia, which became a hurricane at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, poses a threat to areas of South and Central America, where it could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands Colombia, and Nicaragua from Bluefields to Puerto Cabezas.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Nicaragua north of Puerto Cabezas to the Honduras/Nicaragua border.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Pacific coast of Nicaragua and the Pacific coast of Honduras.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the entire coast of El Salvador.

Julia is moving west at 16 mph, the hurricane center said in its 11 p.m. update. Additional strengthening is forecast, and the storm is expected to become a hurricane Saturday evening as it reaches San Andres and Providencia Islands and then the coast of Nicaragua on Sunday morning, forecasters said.

“It’s important to keep in mind that Julia could have a higher intensity when it reaches the coast of Nicaragua than what is explicitly shown, since in this forecast landfall would occur between the 12- and 24-hour forecast times,” the latest advisory said.

As of 8 p.m., Julia was located about 80 miles east-northeast of Bluefields, Nicaragua. It has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward 35 miles from Julia’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 115 miles.

Julia is expected to weaken as its center moves inland over Nicaragua on Sunday, but it may still be at tropical storm strength as it crosses over land and moves along the Pacific coasts of Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador Sunday night and Monday. It should then weaken rapidly Monday and dissipate Tuesday.

The next named storm to form would be Karl. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30.