Hurricane Iota Strengthens To Category 5
While Bermuda will be spared, other nations will not be so lucky as Hurricane Iota bears down on Central America as a category 5 storm, the most powerful hurricane of what has already been a record breaking 2020 season.
According to Dr. Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, Iota is the first ever Greek alphabet Atlantic named storm to reach Category 5 intensity and the latest Atlantic calendar year Category 5 hurricane on record.
A CNN story said, “Iota rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane and is expected to make landfall in Central America as a “catastrophic” storm Monday night.
“Hurricane Iota has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and is forecast to bring a life-threatening storm surge of as much as 15 to 20 feet along with rainfall of 10 to 20 inches, with isolated maximum totals of 30 inches possible, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
“The storm is moving west at about 9 mph and about 100 miles east-southeast of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua. Iota is the first Category 5 storm of this record-breaking hurricane season and is threatening many areas of Central America that are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Eta.
“A hurricane warning is in effect for Providencia, the coast of Nicaragua from the Honduras/Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi, as well as the coast of Honduras from Punta Patuca to the Nicaragua border, according to NHC.”
A CBS News story said, “A fast-strengthening Hurricane Iota intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm as it swept over the western Caribbean Monday morning. The storm was approaching the same part of Central America battered by Hurricane Eta just over a week ago.
“Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said in their 10 a.m. ET update that Iota’s maximum sustained winds had reached 160 mph, making it a Category 5 — the most powerful hurricane of the 2020 season and the strongest ever recorded in November.”
Read More About
Category: All
