Hurricane Jova could threaten life in Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

************************ AT 200 PM PDT (2100 UTC) THE CENTER OF HURRICANE JOVA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 18.3 NORTH, LONGITUDE 105.4 WEST.

JOVA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH (9 KM/H) AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WITH AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED THIS EVENING. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT OR ON WEDNESDAY.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL CROSS THE COAST OF MEXICO TONIGHT AND MOVE OVER WESTERN MEXICO WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH (160 KM/H) WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

JOVA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE.

SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED AFTER THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 15 MILES (30 KM) FROM THE CENTER AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES (165 KM).

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 973 MB (28.73 INCHES).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND:

WIND...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE SPREADING ONTO THE COAST OF MEXICO IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE WARNING AREA AND WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WARNING AREA TONIGHT.

HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO REACH THE COAST WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA DURING THE EVENING.

STORM SURGE...A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

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

RAINFALL...JOVA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER THE STATES OF MICHOACAN, COLIMA, JALISCO AND NAYARIT WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES.

THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

SURF...SWELLS GENERATED BY JOVA ARE AFFECTING PORTIONS OF THE COAST OF SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO.

THESE SWELLS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING SURF AND RIP CURRENT CONDITIONS.

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