Iota Now A Top-End Cat 4 Storm; Max Sustained 155 mph, 925 Mb; Possibly Stronger By Landfall Tonight

[hatrack]

Last edited Mon Nov 16, 2020, 11:22 AM - Edit history (1)

EDIT

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 700 AM EST (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Iota was located
by NOAA satellite data near latitude 13.5 North, longitude 81.6
West. Iota is moving toward the west near 10 mph (17 km/h). A
westward to west-northwestward motion is forecast through landfall.
After landfall, a westward to west-southwestward motion is expected.
On the forecast track, the core of Iota will make landfall within
the hurricane warning area in northeastern Nicaragua and eastern
Honduras tonight, and will dissipate over central America by
midweek.

Data from NOAA satellites indicate that maximum sustained winds
have increased to near 155 mph (245 km/h) with higher gusts. Iota
is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
Scale. Iota could be a catastrophic category 5 hurricane when it
approaches Central America tonight, and rapid weakening is expected
after landfall.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from
the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150
miles (240 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 925 mb (27.32 inches).

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/161143.shtml?

[hatrack]

1. 9:00 CST Update - Now Cat 5, Max Sustained 160 mph, 917 mb; Pressure Dropped 10 mb In One Hour

EDIT

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 1000 AM EST (1500 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Iota was located by
an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 13.5
North, longitude 82.0 West. Iota is moving toward the west near 9
mph (15 km/h), and this general motion is forecast through landfall.
After landfall, a westward to west-southwestward motion is expected.
On the forecast track, the core of Iota will make landfall within
the hurricane warning area in northeastern Nicaragua tonight, and
will dissipate over central America by Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 160 mph (260 km/h) 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.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the
center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles
(240 km).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 917 mb (27.08 inches)
based on Air Force reconnaissance data.

EDIT

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT1+shtml/161451.shtml?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atlantic_hurricane_records#Most_intense_by_minimum_barometric_pressure