Hurricane Iota Strengthens to Cat 5, Set to Hit C. America

Hurricane Iota strengthened into a "catastrophic" Category 5 hurricane and was set to slam into Central America later Monday, threatening areas devastated by tropical storm Eta two weeks ago, the US National Hurricane Center warned.

Iota was "forecast to bring catastrophic wind, life-threatening storm surge and torrential rainfall" to parts of Honduras and Nicaragua, the center said.