First tropical storm of season forms near Belize

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) - Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed Saturday near the coast of Belize, but was already over land and was expected to weaken later in the day, the National Hurricane Center said.

But the center said the the storm still could reemerge into the Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity on Sunday.

As of 5 p.m., the center of Arthur was located about 75 miles (125 km) northwest of Belize City, Belize, and about 195 miles (315 km) southwest of Cozumel, Mexico, forecasters said in an advisory.
The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (65 km/hr), with higher gusts, mainly over water east of its center. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 260 miles (415 km) from the center of the storm, forecasters said.