Eta rapidly strengthens into Category 4 hurricane

Strongest November Atlantic hurricane since Paloma in 2008

Hurricane Eta

Eta has become the fifth major hurricane of the record-setting 2020 season. Life-threatening storm surge, damaging wind, flash flooding and landslides expected across portions of Central America.

Maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph with higher gusts. Eta is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Little change in strength is likely before landfall. Weakening will begin after the center moves inland later today.

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At 10:00 a.m. the center of Hurricane Eta was located near latitude 13.6 North, longitude 83.2 West. Eta is moving toward the west-southwest near 5 mph. A westward or west-northwestward motion is forecast to begin later today and continue through Thursday.

On the forecast track, the center of Eta is expected to make landfall along the coast of Nicaragua within the Hurricane Warning area today. The center of Eta is forecast to move farther inland over northern Nicaragua through Wednesday morning, and then move across the central portions of Honduras by Thursday morning.

TRACKING THE TROPICS: Interactive map

The estimated minimum central pressure is 938 mb or 27.70 inches.

Catastrophic wind damage is expected where Eta’s eyewall moves onshore within the Hurricane Warning area beginning tonight, with tropical storm conditions beginning within the next few hours. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Tropical Storm Warning area tonight, and hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area by early Tuesday. Tropical Storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area by early Tuesday.

Weakening will begin after the system moves inland. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 962 mb or 28.41 inches.


About the Authors:

Richard Nunn is the Weather Authority Chief Meteorologist

After covering the weather from every corner of Florida and doing marine research in the Gulf, Mark Collins settled in Jacksonville to forecast weather for The First Coast.