Forecasters say Tropical Storm Earl is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes landfall.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that Tropical Storm/Hurricane Earl’s path was threatening to bring heavy rains, flooding and high winds to Mexico, Belize and Honduras — making landfall early Thursday morning as a category 1 storm right around Belize, forecasters say.

It isn’t expected to strike the United States. It will be heavy rain into southern Mexico into the weekend. Some rain of up to 12 inches will strike Belize, forecasters, prompting flooding and mudslides as the category 1 storm drenches the region.

All three of those countries issued tropical storm warnings for some areas, and a hurricane warning was issued for parts of Mexico and Belize.

On Sunday, Earl was a weaker tropical wave but knocked down power lines and started a fire that killed six passengers on a bus in the Dominican Republic.

On Tuesday evening, the storm was centered about 350 miles (565 kilometers) east-southeast of Belize City, Belize. It had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and was moving west at 16 mph (26 kph).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.