Hurricane Iota: Strongest 2020 storm & strongest-ever storm to form this late in the year

By BBN Staff: Hurricane Iota, the record-breaking 30th named storm for 2020, is now also the strongest hurricane of the year, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Iota became a Category 5 hurricane today, with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour and hurricane-force winds extending up to 35 miles away from the center of the storm. The NHC forecasts that the storm will make landfall in Nicaragua this evening.

“Category 5 Hurricane #Iota is getting closer to Nicaragua. Hurricane-force winds should begin in a few hours, with landfall expected this evening. This is a life-threatening situation and please heed the advice of local officials,” the NCH said on its official Twitter account.

Iota is forecast to bring a deadly storm surge of 15 to 20 feet to the coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras, an increase from the previously projected 12-18 feet.

It is also expected to drop between 10-30 inches of rain in Nicaragua l, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize, bringing deadly landslides and severe flooding.

Iota comes less than two weeks after Hurricane ETA battered Nicaragua and Honduras,  and caused flooding in Guatemala and Belize, particularly in the Cayo district. The National Meteorological Service of Belize issued a flood warning for the entire country this morning.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2020, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.