Residents paddle a boat through a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Eta in Honduras (AP)Hurricane Iota has rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 storm that is likely to bring catastrophic damage to the same part of Central America already battered by Hurricane Eta less than two weeks ago. US air force hurricane hunters flew into Iota’s core and measured maximum sustained winds of 160mph, the US National Hurricane Centre said. It became a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Monday morning, and the US National Hurricane Centre warned it would probably reach the Central America mainland later on Monday. Eta hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 120 people as torrential rain caused flash floods and mudslides in parts of Central America and Mexico. Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms.

Source: Irish Independent November 16, 2020 09:32 UTC