MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Sara formed Thursday in the Caribbean Sea and was expected to cause life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides across portions of Central America, including Honduras, forecasters said.

The storm was expected to stall and meander near the coast of Honduras through the weekend, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Heavy rain also is forecast for Belize, El Salvador, eastern Guatemala and western Nicaragua.

The storm is expected to strengthen before approaching Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico early next week.

It was too soon to determine Friday morning what conditions the system could bring next week to portions of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, the Florida Keys, and Cuba, the hurricane center said.