Hurricane Jova rapidly intensified to Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Baja California on Wednesday. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Jova was located at latitude 15.4°N and longitude 113.0°W which put it about 535 miles (865 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Jova was moving toward the west-northwest at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 160 m.p.h. (260 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 190 m.p.h. (305 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 929 mb.

Hurricane Jova intensified from a tropical depression to a Category 5 hurricane in 48 hours. A circular eye with a diameter of 12 miles (19 km) formed at the center of Jova’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Jova. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large quantities of mass away from the hurricane. The removal of large amounts of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The size of the circulation around Hurricane Jova increased as Jova rapidly intensified. Winds to hurricane force extended out 30 miles (50 km) from the center of Jova’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (185 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) was 35.0. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 9.0 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 44.0.

Hurricane Jova will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 12 hours. Jova will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Jova could continue to intensify during the next 12 hours. The inner end of a rainband appeared to be wrapping around the existing eye and eyewall in the core of Jova’s circulation. If concentric eyewalls form, then an eyewall replacement cycle will cause Hurricane Jova to weaken on Thursday. Jova will move over cooler water on Friday, which will also cause it to weaken.

Hurricane Jova will move around the southern part of a high pressure system over northern Mexico and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Jova toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Jova will stay far to the southwest of Baja California.