Hurricane Ernesto threatens Mexico, Central America

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTRE

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AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND THAT ERNESTO HAS BECOME A HURRICANE.

THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO HAS INCLUDED THE ISLAND OF COZUMEL IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AND EXTENDED THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING NORTHWARD ALONG THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO CABO CATOCHE.

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR:

• CHETUMAL TO TULUM ON THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA
• COZUMEL
• THE ENTIRE COAST OF BELIZE

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR:

• THE COAST OF HONDURAS FROM THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER WESTWARD TO PUNTA SAL, INCLUDING THE BAY ISLANDS
• NORTH OF TULUM TO CABO CATOCHE ON THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA
• CELESTUN SOUTHWARD AND WESTWARD TO CHILITEPEC ALONG THE GULF COAST OF MEXICO

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR:

• THE COAST OF HONDURAS FROM WEST OF PUNTA SAL TO THE HONDURAS/GUATEMALA BORDER

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

AT 200 PM EDT, 1800 UTC, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ERNESTO WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.5 NORTH, LONGITUDE 85.5 WEST.

ERNESTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH, 22 KM/H.

THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT, FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE WEST ON WEDNESDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE PASSING NORTH OF THE COAST OF HONDURAS TODAY, AND WILL CROSS THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TONIGHT.

THE CENTER OF ERNESTO IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE YUCATAN PENINSULA LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY, AND EMERGE OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH, 130 KM/H, WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

ERNESTO IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE.

SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE ERNESTO REACHES THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.

WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS ERNESTO MOVES OVER LAND.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES, 35 KM, FROM THE CENTER, AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES, 220 KM.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 983 MB, 29.03 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

WIND - TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA ALONG THE COAST OF HONDURAS THROUGH TODAY.

HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST OF MEXICO TONIGHT OR EARLY WEDNESDAY, WITH TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS POSSIBLE BY THIS AFTERNOON.

TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST OF MEXICO IN THE TROPICAL STORM WARNING AREA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

RAINFALL - ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ALONG THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER BELIZE, THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, AND NORTHERN GUATEMALA.

THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER HIGHER TERRAIN.

STORM SURGE - A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL ON THE EAST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.

A STORM SURGE OF 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS IS LIKELY IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS IN THE WARNING AREA ALONG THE GULF COAST OF MEXICO.

NEAR THE COAST, THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS WAVES.

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