The National Hurricane Center this evening upgraded Tropical Depression 29 to Tropical Storm Eta.
Eta is expected to become a hurricane.
"Eta is over warm water and is in environment of light vertical wind shear," said Senior Hurricane Specialst Jack Beven at the hurricane center. "These conditions are expected to continue until the system nears the coast of Central America."
This is the first time the Greek letter Eta has been needed to name a storm. The record-setting season of 2005 ended at Tropical Storm Zeta. 2005 also featured an unnamed storm that forecasters did not recognize was a tropical storm until their post-season review, meaing 2020 has now tied 2005 in the number of tropical storms.
2005 still holds the record for storms that reached hurricane strength, at 15. If Eta becomes a hurricane, it will be this season's twelfth.
