NEWS ITEMS ON HURRICANE IOTA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6:00 PM MONDAY 16TH , NOVEMBER 2020.

…CATEGORY 5 IOTA CLOSING IN ON NICARAGUA…

AT 4:00 PM EST, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IOTA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 13.6 °NORTH AND LONGITUDE 82.7 ° WEST OR ABOUT 55 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA AND 100 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON NIC/HON BORDER.

IOTA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 9 MILES PER HOUR. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CORE OF IOTA WILL MAKE LANDFALL WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA IN NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MILES PER HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IOTA IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO BE A CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE WHEN IT APPROACHES CENTRAL AMERICA TONIGHT AND RAPID WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER LANDFALL.

THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6:00 AM TUESDAY 17TH , NOVEMBER 2020.

PREPARED BY FORECASTER: ANASTASHIA FERNANDER