Record-breaking Tropical Storm Eta forms in the Caribbean. 2020 tied for most named storms
Tropical Storm Eta has formed in the Caribbean, breaking a few records in an already historic hurricane season.
As of 1 p.m. Sunday, Eta, with its 50 mph maximum sustained winds, was about 230 miles south southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, and heading west at 15 mph.
The hurricane center predicted that the storm will continue heading west toward Central America and become a Category 1 hurricane by Monday night just ahead of landfall in Nicaragua on Tuesday. From there, the models are split on whether the storm would speed up into Central America or stall off the coast.
Tropical-storm-force winds are extending outward up to 60 miles, forecasters wrote.
The Governments of Honduras and Nicaragua have issued hurricane watches. In Honduras from Punta Pactua to the the Honduras/Nicaragua border, and in Nicaragua from the border to Puerto Cabezas.
“...Steady to possibly rapid strengthening is expected, with the storm forecast to reach hurricane strength between 36 to 48 hours,” forecasters wrote.
Through Thursday evening, Eta is expected to cause 5 to 10 inches of rain, with local 15-inch amounts, across Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and possibly the southern coast of Hispaniola.
Across parts of Central America, 10 to 15 inches of rain, with local amounts to 25 inches are expected. This rainfall may lead to flash flooding and river flooding, and could lead to landslides in areas of higher terrain.
Saturday, the National Hurricane Center announced the system strengthened into Tropical Storm Eta. This development ties 2005’s record for most named storms in a season — 28. It is also the first time a storm was ever named Eta, the seventh letter in the Greek alphabet.
