Major hurricane Jimena nearing Category 5

[TopazBlue 2,100]

http://khon2.com/2015/08/27/jimena-becomes-major-hurricane-expected-to-be-near-category-5-saturday/

Jimena becomes major hurricane, expected to be near Category 5 Saturday

At 5:00 p.m., the center of Hurricane Jimena was located about 1,833 miles from Hilo.

Jimena is moving toward the west near 12 mph, and this motion is expected to continue for the next 12 to 24 hours. A turn toward the west-northwest is expected by late Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds have rapidly increased to near 125 mph with higher gusts.

Jimena is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours, and Jimena is expected to be near category 5 strength on Saturday. After that time, fluctuations in intensity are possible, but Jimena should remain a powerful hurricane.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 957 mb (28.26 inches).

Jimena is rapidly intensifying. Conventional satellite imagery shows that the hurricane’s well-defined eye has warmed and contracted since the last advisory. Its central dense overcast, consisting of very cold cloud top temperatures, has also become increasingly more symmetric. Aside from Jimena’s core features, outer bands surrounding the cyclone have also increased and become better defined.

The cyclone appears to have recently experienced a southward trochoidal wobble. Directly underneath a subtropical ridge to the north, Jimena should maintain a general westward course for the next 12 to 24 hours. After that time, Jimena’s heading should become west-northwestward as it nears a break in this ridge around 140W, created by a mid-level trough extending southwestward from California.

A significant decrease in forward speed is likely after 96 hours when the cyclone reaches the weakness around 140W.

The new track forecast has been nudged slightly southward in the short term and a little bit more in the extended range, following the trend in the guidance.

The rapid intensification phase that Jimena is undergoing is likely to continue in the short term while it encounters relatively light shear and moves over anomalously high oceanic heat content. These very conducive large-scale factors for intensification suggest that Jimena should reach a peak intensity of near category 5 strength in about 24 hours or so. The hurricane could remain around its peak intensity through 48 hours, even though SHIPS model output shows some drying of the lower to middle troposphere along Jimena’s track.

However, it should be noted that intense hurricanes such as Jimena frequently experience eyewall replacements that can cause fluctuations in intensity, and their occurrence and evolution are nearly impossible to predict.

After about 2 days, a slow decay is forecast since oceanic and atmospheric conditions will only gradually become less conducive.

[Kabexuela 1,184]

Mother Nature is back and she is pissed

[GloZell Green 11,723]

And isn't there supposed to be major rain tomorrow 

[JGD 12,098]

All these hurricanes and typhoons are getting stronger from the last (well, at least the ones that I become aware of).

Hope the people in the islands that are caught in their path will be safe.

I kind of wish that the edges of these storms would come closer to California; we need the rain. 

[Spyro 8,438]

Relax.  Most models are showing a northern turn before it hits the islands.  Still, people should monitor incase things change.

 

[PartySick 172,483]

I hope everyone stays safe. These big storms are nothing to laugh at and they're getting more common and stronger every year.

We've got a tropical storm headed over Florida tomorrow and the next day and a state of emergency has been issued for the Islands that've already been hit.  

[Miel 15,009]

All these hurricanes and typhoons are getting stronger from the last (well, at least the ones that I become aware of).

Hope the people in the islands that are caught in their path will be safe.

I kind of wish that the edges of these storms would come closer to California; we need the rain. 

Yes we do, definitely. Though, apparently El Nino coming in later will be one of the largest, if not the largest, on record.

I go to school near the Bay so I hope I don't get swept away lol

[JGD 12,098]

Yes we do, definitely. Though, apparently El Nino coming in later will be one of the largest, if not the largest, on record.

I go to school near the Bay so I hope I don't get swept away lol

Yeah I heard about that too.  But then again, I think a few years ago we were supposed to have a huge El Nino as well, but that didn't occur.  Hopefully one does, but since we're so drought stricken, there's sure to be wide scale devastation. 

I live downhill so I hope my street doesn't get flooded. But it always does during heavy rain. 

[Miel 15,009]

Yeah I heard about that too.  But then again, I think a few years ago we were supposed to have a huge El Nino as well, but that didn't occur.  Hopefully one does, but since we're so drought stricken, there's sure to be wide scale devastation. 

I live downhill so I hope my street doesn't get flooded. But it always does during heavy rain. 

Where I'm at right now, I'm at the middle of a slope