MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Eta powered up to near hurricane strength while heading for Central America, with forecasters warning it could bring a dangerous storm surge, damaging winds and the threat of floods and mudslides from heavy rains.
Eta, whose formation tied a record for the most named storms in an Atlantic hurricane season, was expected to be a hurricane before dawn Monday and was predicted to be closing in on Nicaragua’s coast by early Tuesday.
It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) late Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It was centered about 215 miles (345 kilometers) east of the Nicaragua-Honduras border and heading westward at 13 mph (20 kph).
Forecasters said central and northern Nicaragua into much of Honduras could get 15 to 25 inches (380 to 640 millimeters of rain, with 35 inches (890 millimeters) in isolated areas. Heavy rains also were likely in eastern Guatemala, southern Belize and Jamaica.
Eta is the 28th named Atlantic storm this season, tying the 2005 record for named storms. However, this is the first time the Greek letter Eta is being used as a storm name because after the 2005 season ended, meteorologists went back and determined there had been a storm that should have gotten a name but didn’t.
Hurricane season still has a month to go, ending Nov. 30. And in 2005, Zeta formed toward the end of December.
