Hurricane Iota powers up in new threat to Central America

(AP) — A fast-strengthening Hurricane Iota is just shy of Category 5 strength as it heads for the same part of Central America battered by a similarly powerful Hurricane Eta less than two weeks ago.

Evacuations were being conducted from low-lying areas in Nicaragua and Honduras near their shared border, which appeared to be Iota’s likely landfall. Winds and rain were already being felt on the Nicaraguan coast Sunday night. Iota was just off the coast of Colombia’s Providencia island on Monday morning.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned it would probably reach the Central America mainland late Monday.