Tropical Storm Eta forecast to approach Cuba, South Fla.

MIAMI — Hurricane Eta has weakened into a tropical storm early Wednesday and is expected to turn into a tropical depression soon as it continues to move across Central America.

Forecasters predict its turn back into the Caribbean Sea in the next few days will let it strengthen into a tropical storm again before it moves across Cuba and approaches South Florida this weekend.

“While it is too soon to determine the exact timing, magnitude, and location of possible impacts from wind and rainfall, interests in Cuba, southern Florida and the Florida Keys should monitor the progress of Eta through the week,” forecasters wrote.

The National Hurricane Center is also warning that there is still a “significant uncertainty as to the details of the track in the 3-to 5-day timeframe.”

“Of more immediate concern are the torrential rains that Eta will continue to produce over portions of Central America,” forecasters wrote.

Eta is continuing to dump heavy rain that can cause “catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with landslides in areas of higher terrain of Central America,” according to the hurricane center.

The worst of the rain is dousing Nicaragua and Honduras, with 15 to 25 inches of new rainfall expected, with some areas possibly seeing up to 40 inches in northeast Nicaragua and eastern Honduras.

Forecasters say flash flooding and river flooding is possible across Jamaica, southeastern Mexico, El Salvador, southern Haiti, and the Cayman Islands.

The good news is that the dangerous storm surge is beginning to subside, with water levels along the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras expected to gradually decrease Wednesday, the hurricane center said.

Nicaragua’s hurricane warning was also changed to a tropical storm warning early Wednesday from the Hondura-nicaragua border to Laguna de Perlas. The northern coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca to the Honduras- Nicaragua border also remains under a tropical storm warning.

On the forecast track, Eta is expected to have weakened into a tropical depression by the time it begins to move across central portions of

Honduras through Thursday morning.

Forecasters say it will then turn, taking it over parts of Guatemala and Belize before emerging over the northwestern Caribbean Sea Friday, where it will regain its tropical storm strength.

The forecast track then shows Tropical Storm Eta moving over Cuba Sunday and approaching South Florida by late Sunday or early Monday.