Hurricane Lane weakens over Mexico

TROPICAL STORM HELENE ADVISORY

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTRE

*********************** HURRICANE LANE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN.

HEAVY RAINFALL, FLOODING AND MUD SLIDES STILL A THREAT.

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO FROM MAZATLAN NORTHWARD TO ALTATA.

THE HURRICANE WARNING WILL LIKELY BE DISCONTINUED SUNDAY MORNING. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA, INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE. AT 800 PM PDT, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LANE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 25.0 NORTH, LONGITUDE 107.4 WEST OR ABOUT 30 MILES (50 KM) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF CULIACAN MEXICO, AND ABOUT 150 MILES (240 KM) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF MAZATLAN MEXICO. LANE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 8 MPH (13 KM/HR) AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH (140 KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

LANE IS A WEAKENING CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.

ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS LANE MOVES FURTHER INLAND. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES (30 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES (150 KM). ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 983 MB (29.02 INCHES). COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT.

TIDE LEVELS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE ON SUNDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WEST-CENTRAL COAST OF MEXICO, WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 TO 25 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF WEST-CENTRAL MEXICO.

THESE RAINFALL AMOUNTS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. *******************