Adrian rapidly becomes a major hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast

Adrian rapidly becomes a major hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast

2011-06-10 02:14:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

MIAMI (BNO NEWS) -- Hurricane Adrian rapidly strengthened into a category three storm off Mexico's Pacific coast on Thursday morning, forecasters said, but there is no significant threat to land.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) have been following the weather system since last week, when it emerged as a low pressure area. It developed into a tropical storm on Tuesday, before becoming a hurricane on Wednesday. It then quickly strengthened into a category three storm.

As of 8 a.m. PDT (1500 GMT), the center of Adrian was located about 440 miles (710 kilometers) south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes, a cape on the Pacific coast of the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is moving toward the west-northwest at a speed of 9 miles (15 kilometers) per hour, a motion which is expected to continue during the next few days, keeping the storm away from the Mexican coast.

Adrian's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 miles (185 kilometers) per hour, with higher gusts, making it a category three hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity. The storm could strengthen further, but is not expected to become a category four hurricane.

"The hurricane has the opportunity to strengthen a little more, or at least to maintain its current intensity before the circulation begins to be affected by stable air and cooler waters in a day or so," said NHC senior hurricane specialist Lixion Avila. "By then, weakening should begin."

A tropical storm watch which was earlier issued for parts of the Mexican coast have been canceled. The watch was issued as a precaution because of a small chance that Adrian could turn towards the coast, but that did not happen.

But the NHC warned people on the coast to be aware of swells, which could result in dangerous situations. "Swells generated by Adrian will continue to affect a portion of the southwestern coast of Mexico today through at least early this weekend," Avila said. "These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents."

Until at least Friday morning, Adrian is expected to remain a category three hurricane. It is then forecast to start weakening and become a tropical storm by Monday morning, before weakening to a tropical depression on Tuesday morning. It should then dissipate over the ocean.

According to figures released in May, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is expecting a below normal hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific this year. The outlook calls for 9 to 15 named storms, with five to eight becoming hurricanes and one to three expected to become a major hurricane (category 3 or higher).

An average Eastern Pacific hurricane season produces 15 to 16 named storms, with eight to nine becoming hurricanes and four becoming major hurricanes. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 through November 30, with peak activity from July through September.

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