MIAMI, USA (AP) - Zeta again strengthened into a tropical storm yesterday and could break the record for the storm lasting the longest into January since record keeping began in 1851.

Zeta, the 27th and final named storm in a tumultuous, record-breaking hurricane season that officially ended more than a month ago, had sustained winds near 40 mph (65 kph) at 10:00 am (1500 GMT), up from 35 mph (56 kph) earlier in the day, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. Winds had reached 65 mph (105 kph) on Wednesday.
Zeta posed no threat to land.

Its first incarnation as a tropical storm lasted from December 30 to around 4:00 am (0900 GMT) yesterday. Its second stint as a storm was expected to last more than a day, because another weather system is likely to "decapitate" it with strong wind shear, hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart said.

"This thing has been very tenacious," he said. "It's probably its last gasp."

Zeta is only the second Atlantic storm in recorded history to survive into January, joining Hurricane Alice in 1955. After Zeta dissipates, Stewart said, forecasters will review records to determine whether it or Alice lasted longest into January.

The 2005 hurricane season officially ended November 30, but hurricane specialist Jack Beven said the season is "not officially over until we write the last advisory, which will be in the next day or two".

The 2006 season officially begins June 1, but any tropical storms that form at any time this year would be part of its tally. The first name on the list is Alberto.

At 10:00 am EST (1500 GMT), Zeta was centred about 1,045 miles (1,680 kilometres) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and moving west-northwest near 10 mph (16 kilometres).

The 2005 season had 14 hurricanes including Katrina, which devastated Louisiana and Mississippi in August and became the most costly disaster in US history.

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