Washington, November 16: Hurricane Iota has turned into the most severe "category 5" storm, said the National Hurricane Center in its latest forecast. The storm will hit Central America region this evening, with the predicted landfall timing stated to be after 8 pm (New York ET time). With the velocity with which it is approaching, the hurricane has been tagged by forecasters as the "strongest storm of the Atlantic in the year 2020".

The speed at which the hurricane was moving in the Atlantic region, towards Central America, was measured as 257 km/hr (160 miles). Any storm which is roaring above 150 km/hr is considered destructive, and when the hurricane has surged above 250 km/hr, experts have warned of a lethal impact. Cyclone Nisarga: What is the Difference Between Cyclone, Hurricane And Typhoon?

"Iota is expected to continue to rapidly intensify and could possibly be a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane when it approaches the coast of Central America tonight,” Stacy Stewart, a forecaster at the NHC, wrote in his outlook.

Hurricane Iota Strengthens to Maximum Category 5 Storm

Stewart further warned that the relief and rescue operations Honduras, Nicaragua and other affected regions of Central America would be hindered as the authorities are already reeling under the impact of Hurricane Eta, which struck earlier this month. The hurricane had left over 100 people dead in the region.

The landfall of Hurricane Iota is expected in the same region that has been battered by Eta. The storm will make a landfall on the border of Honduras-Nicaragua, the NHC has predicted.

The year 2020 has recorded around 30 storms developing in the Atlantic region. According to the weather forecasters, a 30 percent chance exits of another rough weather formation off the coast of Central America over the next five days.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2020 09:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).