Hurricane Beta has deintensified to a Tropical Storm as it moves west across Nicaragua. Beta is maintaining a speed of 7mph with winds of 65mph and is expected to dissipate over western Nicaragua overnight. First reports suggest that there have been no deaths attributed to Beta which is very good to hear, and little in the way of damage has been reported in mainland Nicaragua altough some structural damage was done to roofs in Providencia. This will more than likely be the final Beta tracking map as it becomes a Tropical Depression.

According to the NHC latest advisory at 1pm eastern time, Hurricane Beta is moving towards the west-southwest at 7mph. Maximum sustained winds have abated to 75mph making Beta a category 1 hurricane. Beta is expected to weaken to a Tropical Storm during the afternoon and dissipate over Nicaragua by tommorow.

Hurricane Beta comes ashore on the eastern Nicaraguan coast as a {correction} category 2 storm near La Barra at 7am eastern time. Sustained winds are now 105mph and Beta is moving southwest at 7mph.{end correction} A large evacuation of Cabezas has been taking place since it became obvious that Beta's approach was from the northeast.

The NHC has Hurricane Beta about to make landfall as a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115mph and moving west-southwest at 8mph.

The latest NHC news for 11pm eastern time reports that Hurricane Beta is now a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105mph and tracking west at 5mph. It also advises that Beta could strengthen further and become a major category 3 hurricane before landfall on the east coast of Nicaragua.

The latest NHC advisory at 8pm eastern time reports that Hurricane Beta is heading towards the Nicaragua coast at 5mph with winds of 90mph, and that it is still expected to strengthen before landfall. Unless a complete evacuation of the 90 mile coastal strip within the predicted swathe is carried out quickly there is going to be a severe risk to human life in the coming hours.

This hurricane resembles Stan in many ways and, as most will recall, Stan caused dreadful loss of life from mudslides even though it was only classified as a Tropical Storm as it approached the Oaxaca mountain range. The topography in this part of Nicaragua is very similar i.e. a fairly flat coastal floodplain on the eastern side with a north-south mountain range of 2000ft 90 miles inland. Beta will get squeezed up against the mountains and unleash it's copious rainfall which will more than likely get pushed north and south. Couple that with a significant expected storm surge and we have a potentially very serious situation.

This scenario looks somewhat like that of Hurricane Mitch in 1998 where 3000 people lost their lives in Nicaragua. 7 years on and the village of Siuna is still recovering from Mitch with the help of Oxfam.

The latest NHC updated news report puts Hurricane Beta 75 miles east of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua and on a track to make landfall on the east Nicaraguan coast. Hurricane Beta has sustained winds of 90mph and is moving west at 5mph. Most of the region at the predicted landfall consists of jungle and lagoons, and appears to be very sparsely populated for up to 90 miles inland of the coast.

At 2pm eastern time Hurricane Beta was moving west at 5mph with maximum sustained winds of 90mph. Beta is expected to make category 2, and possibly even category 3 before landfall along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua.

Cerro Pia lies in the north-to-south mountain region of north-central Nicaragua. The villages in this region could suffer very severely from Beta's expected very high rainfall, and dangerous mudslides appear to be inevitable.

Tropical Storm Beta has turned to the northwest overnight and intensified into a hurricane category 1 with maximum sustained winds of 80mph. The expectations are that Hurricane Beta will move erratically over the next 24 hours since steering currents are weak. Beta will move very slowly or may become stationary. It is forecast to become a category 2 hurricane, possibly before landfall along the east coast of Nicaragua. Reports from the Columbian Meteorological Service continue to indicate that Hurricane Beta has caused extensive damage to homes on Providencia island and that there are still no communications with the island.

The NHC state that storm surge of 7 to 10 feet is still possible for Providencia and that Nicaragua can expect it to be 10 to 13 feet above normal tide levels along the eastern coast near and to the north of where Beta makes landfall. Beta is expected to bring torrential rain to northeastern Honduras, Nicaragua, San Andres and Providencia with totals of 10 to 15 inches and isolated amounts to a maximum of 20 inches. Providencia may get up to 25 inches.

Tropical Storm Beta has been moving north-northeast, despite the expected turn to the northwest, and is also moving a little quicker. The NHC forecast still has Beta making hurricane status within the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Beta strengthens more but is moving around ever so slowly in the same area. Beta now has sustained winds of 65mph and is still expected to gain hurricane status within 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Beta appears to be strengthening quickly. Beta is moving north at 2mph with sustained winds of 50mph. The latest NHC advisory has Beta reaching hurricane status within 24 hours. They have added to the expected rainfall amounts to include Honduras since the expected forecast track has turned somewhat more northerly.

System 90L became Tropical Storm Beta overnight and is currently off the east coast of Nicaragua moving northwest at 5mph with maximum sustained winds of 40mph. Beta is expected to grow in strength over the next 24 hours and to bring 10 to 15 inches of rainfall to western Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Dave Foster