Miami, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Matthew made landfall over eastern Nicaragua on Friday afternoon, bringing with it a threat of heavy rain, flash floods and mudslides.
The weather system was centered about 40 miles (65 kilometers) west-southwest of the Nicaraguan town of Cabo Gracis a Dios Friday afternoon and was heading west at 15 mph (24 kph). Its maximum sustained winds had slowly slightly to 45 mph (less than 75 kph), according to the Miami, Florida-based National Hurricane Center.
The governments of Nicaragua and Honduras dropped a hurricane watch they had issued earlier for parts of their countries. Tropical storm warnings remained in effect, as did a tropical storm watch for the coast of Belize, the center said.
The weather system could dump between 6 and 10 inches of rain over portions of Nicaragua and Honduras, with up to 15 inches falling in isolated areas, forecasters said. Both those countries are mountainous and have in the past suffered from treacherous rain-triggered mudslides.
"These rains could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center said.
CNN
