Tag Archives: Salina Cruz

Hurricane Agatha Nears Southern Mexico

Hurricane Agatha neared southern Mexico on Monday morning. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Agatha was located at latitude 15.1°N and longitude 97.3°W which put it about 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Agatha was moving toward the northeast at 6 m.p.h. (10 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 964 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, Mexico. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Barra de Tonala. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portions of the coast from Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado and from Salina Cruz to Boca de Pijijiapan, Mexico.

Hurricane Agatha did not change much during Sunday night. A small circular eye was present at the center of Hurricane Agatha. 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 Agatha. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Agatha was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Agatha’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 80 miles (130 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Agatha was 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 7.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 26.5. The intensity of Hurricane Agatha was the same as the intensity of Hurricane Sally when Sally hit northwest Florida in 2020. Agatha was smaller than Sally was.

Hurricane Agatha will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next few hours. Agatha will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29˚C. It will move under the center of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Agatha could strengthen a little before it reaches Mexico. An upper level trough over Baja California will approach Agatha as the hurricane makes landfall on the coast of Mexico. The upper level trough will produce westerly winds that will blow toward the top of Agatha’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase. More wind shear will make the environment less favorable for intensification. The circulation around Hurricane Agatha could pull drier air over Mexico into the western part of Agatha. More vertical wind shear and drier air could cause Hurricane Agatha to start to weaken just prior to landfall.

The upper level trough over Baja California will steer Agatha toward the northeast more quickly on Monday. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Agatha will make landfall on the coast of Mexico near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel in a few hours. Hurricane Agatha will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to Oaxaca and Chiapas. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Agatha could produce a storm surge of ten feet (three meters) along portions of the coast of Oaxaca. Hurricane Agatha could cause localized serious damage.

Hurricane Agatha Rapidly Intensifies to Cat. 2

Hurricane Agatha rapidly intensified to Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Mexico on Sunday afternoon. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Agatha was located at latitude 14.1°N and longitude 98.7°W which put it about 185 miles (290 km) southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Agatha was moving toward the northeast at 1 m.p.h. (2 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 964 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, Mexico. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Barra de Tonala. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portions of the coast from Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado and from Salina Cruz to Boca de Pijijiapan, Mexico.

A U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance plane found that Hurricane Agatha had rapidly intensified to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale on Sunday afternoon. A small circular eye formed at the center of Hurricane Agatha. 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 Agatha. Storms near the core generated strong upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.

The circulation around Hurricane Agatha was small. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Agatha’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 115 miles (175 km) from the center of circulation. The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Agatha was 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 7.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 26.4.

Hurricane Agatha will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 18 hours. Agatha will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30˚C. It will move under the center of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Agatha is likely to intensify during the next 18 hours. An upper level trough over Baja California will approach Hurricane Agatha on Monday. The upper level trough will produce westerly winds that will blow toward the top of Agatha’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase. More wind shear will make the environment less favorable for intensification.

Hurricane Agatha will move around the northwestern part of a high pressure system over Central America and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Agatha toward the northeast on Sunday night. The upper level trough over Baja California will steer Agatha toward the northeast more quickly on Monday. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Agatha will move approach the coast of Mexico near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel during the middle of Monday. Agatha could be a major hurricane when it nears the coast of Mexico. Hurricane Agatha will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to Oaxaca. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations. Agatha could produce a storm surge of ten feet (three meters) along portions of the coast of Oaxaca. Hurricane Agatha could cause localized major damage.

Tropical Storm Agatha Strengthens, Mexico Issues Hurricane Warning

Tropical Storm Agatha strengthened over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Saturday evening and the government of Mexico issued a Hurricane Warning for a portion of the coast. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Agatha was located at latitude 13.9°N and longitude 98.7°W which put it about 190 miles (310 km) southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Agatha was moving toward the northwest at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

A Hurricane Warning was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, Mexico. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for the portion of the coast from Salina Cruz to Barra de Tonala. Tropical Storm Warnings were in effect for the portions of the coast from Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado and from Salina Cruz to Boca de Pijijiapan, Mexico.

Tropical Storm Agatha strengthened on Saturday. However, microwave satellite images suggested that the center of circulation in the middle troposphere could be a little to the northeast of the center at the surface. A ring of thunderstorms surrounded much of the center in the middle troposphere and the center at the surface could reform under the mid-tropospheric center. Thunderstorms around the center in the middle troposphere generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Some drier air over Mexico appeared to get pulled into the northwestern part of Agatha’s circulation. Bands in the northwestern part of Tropical Storm Agatha consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Bands of thunderstorms were in the southern and eastern parts of Agatha. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Tropical Storm Agatha.

Tropical Storm Agatha will move through an area favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Agatha will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30˚C. It will move under the center of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the center of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Agatha will intensify during the next 36 hours and it could strengthen to a hurricane on Sunday. Agatha could undergo a period of rapid intensification if the center at the surface reforms under the center in the middle troposphere and an inner core with an eye and an eyewall develop fully.

Tropical Storm Agatha will move around the western part of a high pressure system over Central America and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Agatha toward the north during the next 12 hours. Agatha will move toward the northeast on Sunday night and Monday when it moves around the northwestern part of the high pressure system. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Agatha will move approach the coast of Mexico near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel on Monday afternoon. Tropical Storm Agatha is likely to be a hurricane when it approaches Mexico. There is a chance Agatha could be a major hurricane when it nears the coast of Mexico.

Tropical Depression One-E Strengthens to Tropical Storm Agatha, Mexico Issues Hurricane Watch

Former Tropical Depression One-E strengthened to Tropical Storm Agatha over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Mexico on Saturday morning and the government of Mexico issued a Hurricane Watch for a portion of the coast. At 8:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Agatha was located at latitude 13.1°N and longitude 98.4°W which put it about 220 miles (355 km) south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico. Agatha was moving toward the west at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1002 mb.

The government of Mexico issued a Hurricane Watch for the portion of the coast from Punta Maldonado to Salina Cruz.

Tropical Storm Agatha strengthened on Saturday morning. More thunderstorms formed near the center of Agatha’s circulation. Microwave satellite images provided indications that a small eye was forming at the center of circulation. A partial ring of thunderstorms wrapped around the northern side of the center. Other bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Agatha. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 35 miles (55 km) from the center of Agatha.

Tropical Storm Agatha will move through an area favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Agatha will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30˚C. It will move under the western part of the axis of an upper level ridge over Central America and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the axis of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.. Tropical Storm Agatha will continue to intensify during the next 36 hours and it could strengthen to a hurricane on Sunday. Agatha could undergo a period of rapid intensification once an inner core with an eye and an eyewall are fully formed.

Tropical Storm Agatha will move around the western part of a high pressure system over Central America and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Agatha toward the north during the next 36 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Agatha will move closer to Mexico. Agatha could approach the coast of Mexico on Monday. Tropical Storm Agatha is likely to be a hurricane when it approaches Mexico. There is a chance Agatha could be a major hurricane when it nears the coast of Mexico.