A new hurricane named Oscar has formed off the coast of the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Despite being characterized as 'tiny,' the storm has prompted the government of the Bahamas to issue a hurricane warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas. Additionally, the government of Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas.
As of the latest report, Hurricane Oscar has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) with higher gusts. Its center is currently located approximately 165 miles (260 kilometers) east-southeast of the southeastern Bahamas and about 470 miles (755 kilometers) east of Camaguey, Cuba.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nadine has formed off Mexico's southern Caribbean coast and is moving inland across Belize. This has led to heavy rain and tropical storm conditions over parts of Belize and the Yucatan peninsula. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Belize City and from Belize to Cancun, Mexico, including Cozumel.
At the time of the report, Tropical Storm Nadine is situated about 20 miles (35 kilometers) east of Belize City, with winds of 13 mph (20 kph) and maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph). The storm is expected to move across Belize, northern Guatemala, and southern Mexico through Sunday.
While neither Hurricane Oscar nor Tropical Storm Nadine pose a direct threat to the United States, the rapid development of Oscar caught experts somewhat off guard. Philippe Papin, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, mentioned that the system 'kind of snuck up a little bit' on forecasters.
