Watch CBS News

Tracking The Tropics: Tropical Storm Zeta Earliest Named 27th Atlantic Storm Recorded

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Tropical Storm Zeta is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to portions of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday.

At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the center of the storm was 255 southeast of Cozumel, Mexico.

Zeta is meandering or nearly stationary, but a generally northwestward motion is expected over the next couple of days.

On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will pass south of western Cuba early Monday and move near or over the northern Yucatan Peninsula or the Yucatan Channel late Monday, move into the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and reach the central Gulf of Mexico by late Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Zeta could become a hurricane by the time it moves near or over the Yucatan Peninsula late Monday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles from the center.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:

  • Tulum to Rio Lagartos Mexico
  • Cozumel

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

  • Pinar del Rio Cuba
  • Tulum to Rio Lagartos Mexico
  • Cozumel

Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season.

MORE ON CBSMIAMI.COM
Barack Obama Holds Drive-In Rally For Joe Biden In North Miami
Trump Supporters Hold Westchester Rally To Watch President Cast His Ballot
FBI Releases Image Of Pompano Beach Bank Robbery Suspect

The National Hurricane Center had to turn to the Greek alphabet because there have been so many storms this 2020 season, it ran out of official names.

The last time the Greek alphabet had to be used in an Atlantic hurricane season was in 2005, the most active season on record, which had 28 named storms, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.