Hurricane Bonnie intensified to a major hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Mexico on Tuesday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Bonnie was located at latitude 15.3°N and longitude 104.3°W which put it about 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Bonnie was moving toward the west at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (230 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 964 mb.

Hurricane Bonnie intensified to a major hurricane southwest of Zihuatanejo on Tuesday morning. A small circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) was present at the center of Bonnie’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Bonnie. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Bonnie was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Bonnie. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Bonnie was 20.6. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 10.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 30.6.

Hurricane Bonnie will move through an environment favorable for a major hurricane during the next 24 hours. Bonnie will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move under the southern side of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The ridge will produce northeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Bonnie’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The wind shear will inhibit intensification, but Hurricane Bonnie could strengthen a little more during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Bonnie will move south of a high pressure system over Mexico. The high pressure system will steer Bonnie toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track Hurricane Bonnie will more farther to the southwest of the coast of Mexico.