Monstrous Hurricane Iota Rapidly Weakens To Category 1 After Hitting Nicaragua

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th November, 2020) After approaching Central America at the maximum of its destructive power and slamming into Nicaragua as a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Iota rapidly weakened to Category 1 on Tuesday, according to data shared by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The hurricane is packing winds as strong as 85 miles per hour and is crawling westward at the speed of 9 mile per hour, the NHC said in its updated advisory published at 7 a.m. EST (12:00 GMT).

"This general motion is expected to continue during the next day or so. On the forecast track, Iota will move farther inland across northern Nicaragua today, and move across southern Honduras tonight and Wednesday," the advisory read, adding it was expected to dissipate by Wednesday night.

The storm is forecast to bring flash flooding, landslides, life-threatening storm surge and powerful winds across portions of Central America on Tuesday. Near the shore, the surge will be accompanied by large, destructive waves.

Iota is the 13th named hurricane of this year's Atlantic season, coming hot on the heels of Category 4 Hurricane Eta, which ravaged the region last week. The season has been so busy that the UN's World Meteorological Organization has run out of Names to call weather systems and has resorted to Greek letters.