Hurricane Julia hits Nicaragua with torrential rainfall
MEXICO CITY -- Hurricane Julia hit Nicaragua's central Caribbean coast on Sunday and dumped torrential rains across Central America before an expected reemergence over the Pacific.
Julia hit as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), though its winds had dipped to tropical storm force of 50 mph (85 kph), by late afternoon as it pushed across Nicaragua.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Julia was centered about 45 miles (75 kilometers) west-northwest of Managua, the capital, and was moving west at 16 mph (26 kph).
It said life-threatening flash floods and mudslides were possible across Central America and southern Mexico through Tuesday, with the storm expected to bring as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain in isolated areas.
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