Category 5 Hurricane Rick continues to strengthen

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

************************* WITH 180 MPH WINDS, RICK BECOMES THE SECOND STRONGEST EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC HURRICANE ON RECORD AFTER LINDA OF 1997. INTERESTS IN SOUTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF MEXICO SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SEVERE HURRICANE. AT 800 PM PDT, THE EYE OF HURRICANE RICK WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 15.0 NORTH - LONGITUDE 105.9 WEST - OR ABOUT 295 MILES (475 KM) SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO AND ABOUT 605 MILES (975 KM) SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO. RICK IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH (22 KM/HR) AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON SUNDAY.

A GRADUAL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH SHOULD BEGIN ON MONDAY.

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT RICK HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN AND THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NOW ESTIMATED NEAR 180 MPH (285 KM/HR) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

RICK IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE.

SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY ON SUNDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES (75 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 155 MILES (250 KM). ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 906 MB (26.75 INCHES). LARGE SWELLS GENERATED BY RICK WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, CAUSING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS.

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