Raymond Churns Pac.; Lorenzo Motors Across Atlantic

UPDATED 8 PM PDT, October 21,2013

UPDATED By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Chad Merrill

 

 

Enlarge

Raymond is spreading downpours into south-central Mexico as the major hurricane continues to slowly churn well off the central Mexican coast. Meanwhile, the Atlantic`s twelfth named storm has formed in the middle of the Atlantic. The storm poses no threat to land.

As of 11 p.m. PDT, Hurricane Raymond was located near 16.4 N and 101.9 W, or about 90 miles south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and 135 miles west-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. Raymond`s top sustained winds have weakened to 120 mph, making it a Category Three Hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Raymond is still crawling east at 2 mph and its minimum central pressure has increased to 954 mb, or 28.17 inches of mercury.

A Hurricane Warning is in place from Tecpan de Galeana to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, with a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning in effect from Acapulco to Tecpan de Galeana, Mexico. A Hurricane Warning, or sustained winds greater than 74 mph, are expected within 36 hours. Preparation to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, as conditions will begin to deteriorate quickly later today.

While the rain bands from Raymond continue to spiral inland to central Mexico, the storm itself will remain offshore and start to spin away from the coast on Tuesday as high pressure builds north of Raymond. While the clockwise flow around the high will cause it to turn west away from Mexico, increasing southwest winds aloft will steer the storm into cooler water, gradually weakening Raymond through the weekend.

Still, its outer bands will produce 4 to 12 inches of rain across Guerrero and Michoacan, causing flash flooding and mudslides. Storm surge will also produce significant coastal flooding and be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Winds will increase along the central Mexican coast tonight and Tuesday.

Raymond is the seventeenth named storm in the eastern Pacific this season, and the eighth hurricane. This is ahead of average, with 15 named storms typically forming by early November. Slightly more than one month remains in the Eastern Pacific hurricane season.

In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Lorenzo is sliding across the Central Atlantic, away from Bermuda or the U.S. East Coast. It is located at 29.3 N and 53.8 W. Lorenzo is moving northeast at 9 mph. Maximum sustained winds remain at 40 mph and the minimum central pressure is 1008 mb or 29.77 inches of mercury.

Lorenzo will be accelerated northeast away from Bermuda and the U.S. by a low pressure that will approach from the west. Lorenzo will only remain a threat to shipping lanes through midweek before dissipating before the weekend as dry air and strong upper-level winds rip the storm apart.