Now a hurricane, Karl threatens Mexico

NEWS RELEASE

U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTRE

***************************** KARL BECOMES A HURRICANE, HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE MEXICAN GULF COAST.

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR:

- THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM PALMA SOLA TO CABO ROJO.

A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR:

- THE COAST OF MEXICO NORTH OF CABO ROJO TO LA CRUZ.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR:

- THE COAST OF MEXICO NORTH OF CABO ROJO TO LA CRUZ.

- THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF PALMA SOLA TO VERACRUZ.

A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA.

A WARNING IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 36 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.

A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA.

A WATCH IS TYPICALLY ISSUED 48 HOURS BEFORE THE ANTICIPATED FIRST OCCURRENCE OF TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE OUTSIDE PREPARATIONS DIFFICULT OR DANGEROUS.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 36 HOURS.

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

AT 1000 AM CDT, 1500 UTC, THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 19.7 NORTH, LONGITUDE 92.8 WEST.

KARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 12 MPH, 19 KM/HR, AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

ON THE FORECAST TRACK, THE CENTER OF KARL WILL CROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO TODAY THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY, AND MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE COAST OF MAINLAND MEXICO LATE THURSDAY OR THURSDAY NIGHT.

REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 75 MPH, 120 KM/HR, WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

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

ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS LIKELY, AND KARL COULD APPROACH MAJOR HURRICANE STRENGTH BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE MEXICAN COAST.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 10 MILES, 20 KM, FROM THE CENTER, AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES, 110 KM.

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER IS 983 MB, 29.03 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

STORM SURGE - A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 9 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL.

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

WIND - WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA, TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY THURSDAY, WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY.

RAINFALL - KARL IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MEXICAN GULF COAST REGION, WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE IN THE INTERIOR MOUNTAINS.

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

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