Tropical Cyclone Chapala intensified rapidly on Friday and it became the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Chapala was located at latitude 13.9°N and longitude 59.9°E which put it about 405 miles (655 km) east-southeast of Salalah, Oman.  Chapala was moving toward the west-southwest at 5 m.p.h. (8km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 185 m.p.h. (295 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 932 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Chapala is a very well organized tropical cyclone.  It has a well defined eye and a strong core of thunderstorms around the eye.  Those storms generated upper level divergence which pumped out mass and allowed the surface pressure to fall rapidly.

Chapala is an environment favorable for tropical cyclones.  It is over warm Sea Surface Temperatures and the upper level winds are light.  So, there is little vertical wind shear.  However, a secondary eyewall may be developing and eyewall replacement cycles could cause fluctuations in intensity for the next day or two.  When Chapala approaches the Arabian peninsula, it will start to pull in very dry air, and that will weaken the tropical cyclone even before it makes landfall.

A subtropical ridge is steering Chapala toward the west and that general steering motion is expected to continue for another 36 to 48 hours.  As Chapala reaches the western end of the ridge, it could turn more toward the northwest.  Tropical Cyclone Chapala could be approaching the coast of Yemen in 48 to 60 hours.