Miami, Fl.(Florida News Network)-At 4:00 PM EST, the center of Hurricane Eta was located near latitude 14.5 North, longitude 82.3 West. About 70 miles east-southeast of Cabo Gracias a dios Nicaragua. Eta is moving toward the west-southwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through early Tuesday. A slower westward or west-northwestward motion is forecast to begin on Tuesday and continue through Thursday.
On the forecast track, the center of Eta is expected to make landfall along the coast of Nicaragua within the Hurricane Warning area tonight or early Tuesday. The center of Eta is forecast to move farther inland over northern Nicaragua through Wednesday night, and then move across central portions of Honduras on Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Eta is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is forecast until Eta reaches the coast of Nicaragua. Weakening will begin after the system moves inland.
Conditions are beginning to deteriorate along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua. Life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds, flash flooding, and landslides expected across portions of Central America.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles (35 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 948 mb (28.00 inches).
Data and Graphic: National Hurricane Center Miami