Tropical Storm Eta strengthing into category 2 Hurricane

Hurricane Eta is suspected to immediately increase over the next 18 hours as it mixes in the Caribbean Sea.

Monday, 2nd November 2020

Hurricane Eta is suspected to immediately increase over the next 18 hours as it mixes in the Caribbean Sea toward Nicaragua, taking with it overwhelming conditions, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Continued blows from Eta grew to 75 mph early Monday morning. The cyclone is travelling west towards Central America at 12 mph, according to an updated advisory from the NHC declared early Monday. Eta is projected to make landfall in Nicaragua late Monday into Tuesday as a potential Category 2 hurricane, with gusts around 100 mph. A hurricane alert is now in force from the Honduras and Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi, Nicaragua NHC announced. Heavy downpour will result in "catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding," as well as landslides, dangerous storm surge and damaging winds, according to the NHC. Eta's centre is expected to approach the northeastern shore of Nicaragua Monday afternoon and make landfall early Tuesday before moving inward over northern Nicaragua through early Wednesday, as per the National Hurricane Center. "Eta is projected to be a higher hurricane when landfall occurs by early Tuesday," NHC declared. The greatest intimidation from the storm will be huge rainfall with estimates of 15 to 25 inches, and isolated amounts up to 35 inches in Nicaragua and Honduras. Life-threatening storm surge along the Nicaraguan coastline is suspected to be up to 15 feet above normal tide. Remarkably strong winds will affect areas from the coast towards the hills. The hurricane and storm surge warning will decrease throughout the day on Tuesday, but the rain will last well into the week. Heavy rain will increase completely in Central America, where states from southeast Mexico down through Panama could detect rainfall enlargements up to 25 inches. "This rain would lead to catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding, along with landslides in areas of the higher region of Central America," the NHC announced. "Flash flooding and river flooding would be probable across Jamaica, southeast Mexico, El Salvador, southern Haiti, and the Cayman Islands." The current projection has the storm drifting the mountains of Nicaragua and Honduras before travelling north towards Belize as distress by Friday. The track and strength of the storm remain possible after Friday and will be strictly watched. Eta is the 28th titled storm of the active 2020 hurricane season and ties the account for the number of selected storms in a particular season set back in 2005. The storm has the power to be one of the worst flooding disasters Nicaragua has seen since Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which resulted in the death of more than 10,000 people.