11 AM Update on the east Pac and Atlantic Basin.

[WXBUFFJIM]

At 11 AM EDT, Hurricane Kate is still churning with 115 mph maximum sustained winds. One look at this satellite loop http://hadar.cira.colostate.edu/ramsdis ... geflt.html shows how very well defined this hurricane remains. This maybe the last day for this though as Kate will interact with a trough and become more stretched out later tonight and less symmetric. It's definitely worth enjoying the beauty of a major hurricane while it lasts.

At 11 AM EDT, Major Hurricane Kate is centered about 695 miles east southeast of Bermuda. Movement is due west at 12 mph and this general motion is expected to continue today with a gradual turn towards the west northwest beginning tonight. Newfounderland should still keep a close eye on kate about 3 1/2 to 4 days out as winds close to hurricane force and heavy rains could occur that far north. Gusty wind and heavy precipitation may also occur as extratropical storm kate moves into Iceland about 5 days down the road. Other than that, no real threat to land and definitely no threat for Bermuda and the United States other than higher swells in Bermuda. That's about it.

Maximum sustained winds remain at major hurricane cat 3 status of 115 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected during the next 24 hours. However slow weakening should begin on Sunday as Kate interacts with a trough and stretches her out.

Minimum central pressure remains the same at 962 mb or 28.41 inches. So no changes there.

Elsewhere in the tropics, we still have tropical storm Larry to contend with. No real changes have been noted except a southeasterly motion at 2 mph. This storm has been moving erratically and this trend is expected to continue for the next day or so. At 11 AM EDT, Tropical storm Larry was centered about 75 miles northwest of Ciudad Del Carmen, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph with a minimum central pressure of 994 mb or 29.35 inches.

A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch remain in effect for the Mexican Gulf coastal waters from Tuxpan to Campeche, Mexico. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours or less. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours. The biggest story with Larry is not going to be much wind, but rainfall. Over 12000 people were taken to government shelters as of last night all due to flooding rains and this thing has a few days before it even makes landfall. That's how slow this thing is moving. So devastating rainfall amount of 2-3 feet is likely in this case. Storm surge flooding of 3-5 feet along with large and dangerous battering waves are expected to the left of where the center makes landfall over the next few days. Satellite imaginary here http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT ... -loop.html shows Larry not the best organized tropical system in the world. But it's trying to gain some strength and we will definitely watch that over the next day or two. Larry only needs to increase another 15 mph with be classified officially as a hurricane, hence the hurricane watches from Tuxpan to Campeche in Mexico.

Meanwhile, crossing Mexico into the eastern Pacific and there is more tropical cyclone activity to talk about. Nora has strengthened further to 105 mph and has reached category 2 status. Nora is expected to become a category 3 hurricane southwest of Baja California over the next day or so before weakening over cooler waters. Nora's present position as of 11 am EDT is latitude 17.2 north, longitude 111.8 west. Movement is away from land towards the west northwest at 7 mph. Minimum central pressure is around 970 mb. Nora could generate high waves along the Baja California coast and some of those swells could make it into southern California over the next few days, which would be great news for the elite surfers down there.

Meanwhile Olaf is up to 60 mph now and could become a hurricane over the next day or two. Olaf has a better chance to impact the west coast of Mexico and Baja California overtime and this needs to be watched very carefully because Oraf is only expected to strengthen through the next 72 hours or so.

Satellite loop of both storms can be seen here, http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/DATA/RT ... -loop.html

That's the tropics for this time. More later.
Jim

[Josephine96]

Competing 11 am update threads huh lol.. I just posted the 11 am's from NHC lol

[hunter84]

? from novice. How often have there been 2 storms that close together? and how are they affecting each other if at all? Thanks