MANAGUA — Hurricane Otto made landfall as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane on a sparsely populated stretch of Caribbean coast in Nicaragua Thursday, becoming the southernmost hurricane on record to hit Central America.

The US National Hurricane Center said the unusually strong late-season hurricane hit land north of the Costa Rican border near the town of San Juan de Nicaragua with winds of 110 miles per hour.

The center called Otto dangerous in part because of its heavy rains and storm surge.

Rains have already been blamed for three deaths in Panama.

The center said Otto will continue to cross southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica and is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Friday.

Nicaragua closed schools and was evacuating more than 10,000 people. Heavy rains were expected to affect the entire country.

Associated Press