Tropical Storm Sara made landfall in northern Honduras late Thursday and threatened to dump torrential rains across parts of Central America and southern Mexico. Here's a look at the latest models: LATEST CONE GULF OF MEXICO SATELLITE LATEST MODELS INTENSITY MODEL How hurricanes are rated The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained winds,

Hurricane Rafael has made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 storm. It is expected to continue into the Gulf of Mexico, weakening but potentially threatening the southeastern United States. Only when tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean encounter the right ingredients for long enough do they strengthen to the point of designation.

A change in the storm's path significantly changes Hurricane Sara’s timeline, placing doubts on whether it will survive early landfall.