Tropical Storm Willa Strengthens Quickly Southwest of Mexico

Only one day after the formation of Tropical Storm Vicente, Tropical Storm Willa strengthened quickly southwest of Mexico.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Willa was located at latitude 15.2°N and longitude 105.8°W which put it about 280 miles (450 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.  Will was moving toward the west-northwest at 6 m.p.h. (10 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.

Several bands of showers and thunderstorms wrapped tightly around a distinct low level center of circulation on Saturday and the National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Willa.  Willa continued to organize quickly on Saturday afternoon.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms formed and began to revolve around the core of Tropical Storm Willa.  Storms near the core started to generate upper level divergence which pumped mass away from the tropical storm.  The circulation around Tropical Storm Willa was still compact.  Winds to tropical storm force only extended out about 35 miles (55 km) from the center of circulation.

Tropical Storm Willa will move through an environment favorable for intensification.  Willa will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through an area where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Willa is likely to intensify into a hurricane during the next 24 hours.  It could intensify rapidly and there is a chance Tropical Storm Will could strengthen into a major hurricane during the next two or three days.

Tropical Storm Willa will move around the western end of a ridge of high pressure over Mexico during the next two or three days.  The ridge will steer Willa toward the northwest during the next 24 to 48 hours.  An upper level trough west of California will turn Willa toward the northeast in about 48 hours.  On its anticipated track Willa could approach the coast of Mexico in about fours.  Willa could be a hurricane when it nears the coast.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Vicente also strengthened on Saturday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Vicente was located at latitude 14.6°N and longitude 94.3°W which put it about 120 miles (200 km) south-southeast of Salina Cruz, Mexico.  Vicente was moving toward the west at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1002 mb.