Local
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Earl has made landfall near Belize City, Belize, with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph (130 kph).
The hurricane is centered early Thursday about 5 miles (10 kilometers) southwest of Belize City and is moving west near 14 mph (23 kph).
A hurricane warning was in place for Belize and parts of Mexico, though the storm was expected to begin weakening when it moved ashore. The hurricane center says heavy rains will be a danger in southern Mexico through Saturday as Earl crosses the Yucatan Peninsula and the states of Tabasco and Veracruz.
In Belize, the government opened storm shelters and used radio and television broadcasts to urge residents of low-lying areas to move to higher ground.