Category 5 Hurricane Iota makes landfall on Nicaragua coast

Iota is the first Category 5 storm of this record-breaking hurricane season and is threatening many areas of Central America that are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Eta.

Managua: The Category 5 Hurricane Iota on Monday made landfall on Nicaragua's northern Caribbean coast, and is heading towards Central America, reported CNN.

The hurricane had pummeled the Colombian islands of San Andres and Providencia as a Category 4 hurricane and has now become a Category 5 hurricane heading towards Central America.

Read:|Iota threatens second tropical hit for Nicaragua, Honduras

According to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center, the storm made landfall near the town of Haulover at 10:40 pm EST (9: 10 am IST, Tuesday) with sustained winds near 155 mph. Hurricane Iota's landfall location is approximately 15 miles south of where Hurricane Eta made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on November 3.

Rainfall accumulations throughout Central America are expected to be high, with Honduras, northern Nicaragua, Guatemala and southern Belize seeing between 8 and 16 inches and isolated accumulations of 20 to 30 inches possible in northeast Nicaragua and northern Honduras, according to the advisory.

Read:|Hurricane Iota powers up in new threat to Central America

Iota will be the second major hurricane to hit the area in as many weeks. On November 3, Hurricane Eta made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing landslides and flooding that displaced thousands and left scores of people dead or missing.

ANI