Hurricane Iota gaining strength, expected to hit Central America as Category 4

Forecasters expect Hurricane Iota to strengthen into a Category 4 storm before making landfall late Monday night along the border between Nicaragua and Honduras.

Iota, the 30th named storm of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, is moving over the western Caribbean, and became a hurricane early Sunday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Iota strengthened into a powerful Category 3 storm early Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.

Iota is already bringing wind and rain to the coast of Nicaragua, where residents of low-lying areas are being evacuated. Parts of Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and southern Belize could see 8 to 16 inches of rain, with the possibility of 30 inches in isolated areas.

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Hurricane Eta brought devastation to Central America just a week ago, slamming into Nicaragua as a Category 4. The storm caused flash floods and mudslides in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, killing at least 120 people. Forecasters warn that the soil is still saturated with water, and more landslides and flooding are possible.