NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM ZETA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, AT 6AM MONDAY, 26TH OCTOBER, 2020.

...HURRICANE CONDITIONS AND STORM SURGE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY LATE TODAY...

AT 5 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL ZETA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.7° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 84.3° WEST OR ABOUT 210 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COZUMEL, MEXICO. 

ZETA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 9 MPH.  A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE DAY OR SO, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH TUESDAY NIGHT. A FASTER NORTHWARD TO NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD MOTION IS FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF ZETA WILL MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT, MOVE OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ON TUESDAY, AND APPROACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST ON WEDNESDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 70 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND ZETA IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE LATER THIS MORNING.  ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED BEFORE ZETA MOVES OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.