Otis is closing in on Mexico as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.
Hurricane Otis underwent and strengthened into a major Tuesday as it swirled just off the southern coast of near Acapulco.
“Otis is forecast to remain a category 5 hurricane through landfall, and rapid weakening is then forecast due to the higher terrain of Mexico,” the National Hurricane Center wrote in the 10 p.m. Central time advisory.
The storm will bring life-threatening , destructive waves and heavy rain to southwestern Mexico, which may result in and in the higher terrain. Catastrophic damage is likely where the core moves onshore, according to the NHC.
“Hurricane Otis has intensified by 80 mph in the past 12 hours (from 65 mph to 145 mph). That’s the fastest 12-hour intensification rate in the eastern North Pacific (to 180°) in the satellite era (since 1966), breaking the old record of 75 mph/12 hr set by Patricia in 2015,” CSU hurricane specialist Phil Klotzbach said Tuesday evening when the storm intensified to a Category 4 hurricane.
What’s the latest with Hurricane Otis?
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Otis is located about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, and is moving north-northwest at 9 mph, as of the latest advisory from the NHC. Otis has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph with some higher gusts.
Ahead of landfall, Otis is undergoing a process known as rapid intensification, which is when a increases in maximum sustained winds of at least 35 mph in 24 hours.
Otis is forecast to remain a Category 5 hurricane when its center reaches the coast Wednesday. Rapid weakening is likely after landfall.
Where is Hurricane Otis going?
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The NHC said Otis will continue on a north-northwest motion over the next few days.
On that current forecast track, the center of Otis will reach the southern coast of Mexico by early Wednesday.
A has been issued along the southern coast of Mexico from Punta Maldonado westward to Zihuatanejo, including the city of Acapulco.
A Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning are in place from Lagunas de Cachahua to Punta Maldonado.
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Another disturbance tracked south of Central America, Mexico
A broad area of low pressure is likely to form over the far eastern Pacific in a couple of days, partially related to the remnants of Atlantic Tropical Depression Twenty-One, which are forecast to move into the region.
Environmental conditions could support some slow development of this system by late this week or this weekend while the low moves slowly westward to west-northwestward, the NHC said.
Formation chance through the next weeks is medium.
(FOX Weather)