The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have discontinued the hurricane warning, after Category 3 Hurricane Omar started moving away from the land. Omar swept the Virgin Islands with winds of 115 miles per hour (185 kilometers), but thanks to a shift in the system, the residents did not experience major damages or loss of lives.

In the Virgin Islands, Hurricane Omar caused an oil refinery to close down. In addition to that, local authorities in Puerto Rico reported some flooded roads, and downed trees, due to the strong winds and rains that Omar brought along.

The National Hurricane Center announced that Omar, although still a Category 3 hurricane, is likely to weaken over the next 24 hours, as it moves toward northeast at 29 mph, away from the northern Leeward Islands. The hurricane is expected to suffer a gradual increase in forward speed within the next 24 to 48 hours, as it moves further in the Atlantic.

The center revealed that Omar is moving rapidly from the northern Leeward Islands. The center of the hurricane was located at latitude 20.3 north, longitude 62.4 west on Thursday, at 12:00 UTC, more precisely 160 miles (260 km) north-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.

The National Hurricane Center said the Gulf of Mexico has nothing to worry about this time, as Omar moves further away into the Atlantic, turning into a tropical storm. This was a relief for oil companies exploiting the oil and gas resources along the golf coast.

In the meantime, NHC revealed that Tropical Depression 16, located near latitude 15.3 north, longitude 85.9 west, with maximum sustained winds near 30 mph, or 45 km/h, is expected to remain over Honduras, with heavy rains hitting portions of Central America.

The system is expected to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain in Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and a maximum of 15 inches in the Yucatan Peninsula. There is a high risk of mudslides and flash floods, NHC warned.