Zeta becomes a hurricane as it nears Yucatan and heads for US

Zeta (NOAA/NESDIS/STAR via AP)

Zeta has strengthened to a hurricane as it continues on a track for Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula resorts, and then a possible landfall on the central US Gulf Coast.

Zeta — the earliest ever 27th named storm of the Atlantic season — was centred about 105 miles south east of Cozumel island on Monday afternoon, the US National Hurricane Centre said. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.