With mass evacuations and last-minute preparations sweeping much of the region, an already battered Central America awaits the fallout from Hurricane Iota, which continues to strengthen in the southwest Caribbean Sea on Sunday (November 15).

Meteorologists at the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) anticipate Iota will strike the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Honduras as a category four or five cyclone—on par with a similar blow landed by Hurricane Eta just over a week ago.

In its 10:00 EST advisory, the NHC warned that regardless of its final intensity, Hurricane Iota will bring catastrophic winds, life-threatening storm surges and extreme rainfall impacts across much of Central America.

The eye of Hurricane Iota, as at 10:00 am EST, was located near latitude 13.3 North, longitude 78.5 West—or roughly 315 kilometres east of Isla de Providencia, Colombia.

The powerful category two hurricane is moving west-northwesterly at 15 kilometres/hour and packs maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometres/hour, with higher gusts.

Iota, the 13th hurricane of the record-breaking 2020 season, is still expected to become the fourth major cyclone this year—the second in as many weeks in November—as early as Monday morning.

“Rapid strengthening is expected during the next 36 hours, and Iota is forecast to be an extremely dangerous category four hurricane when it approaches Central America,” the NHC advised.

Honduras, northern Nicaragua, Guatemala and southern Belize could see isolated maximum rainfall totals exceeding 30 inches, US forecasters warned further.

A hurricane warning is in effect for the island of Providencia; the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, from its border with Honduras to Sandy Bay Sirpi; and the coast of northeastern Honduras from Punta Patuca to its border with Nicaragua.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the Colombian island of San Andrés.

Additionally, tropical storm warnings have been activated for San Andrés; the coast of Nicaragua, from south of Sandy Bay Sirpi to Bluefields; and the northern coast of Honduras from west of Punta Patuca to Punta Castilla.

The NHC noted that tropical storm conditions are expected on the islands of San Andrés and Providencia starting Sunday afternoon into the night, with hurricane conditions coming late Sunday into early Monday.

Nicaragua and Honduras can expect hurricane conditions by late Monday.