A low pressure system formerly designated as Tropical Depression Nine intensified and it has been classified as Tropical Storm Hanna.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Hanna was located at latitude 14.5°N and longitude 83.2°W which put it about 35 miles north-northeast of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, about 35 miles south of Cabo Gracias a Dios and about 800 miles south-southwest of Key West, Florida.  Hanna was moving toward the west-southwest a 7 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. and the minimum surface pressure was 1005 mb.  A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the portion of the coast from Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua to Punta Patuca,, Honduras.

The low pressure system that was once designated Tropical Depression Nine moved southeastward during the weekend.  It eventually moved far enough south to get away from stronger westerly winds to its north and drier air flowing southward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea.  As a result thunderstorms developed near the center of the low and it began to intensify.  Hanna is very close to the coast of Nicaragua and it has a limited time period to intensify before the center moves onshore.

An upper level ridge moving north of Hanna is steering it west-southwestward.  As the upper level ridge moves east, Hanna could turn more toward the west or even west-northwest.  The center of Hanna could move very near the coast of Honduras during the next several days.

The greatest threat from Hanna will be potentially heavy rainfall over Nicaragua and Honduras.