ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 8A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 PM PDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...HURRICANE LESTER...THREATENS SOUTHWESTERN MEXICO... A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF MEXICO FROM PUERTO ARISTA TO PUNTA MALDONADO. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM EAST OF PUERTO ARISTA TO THE MEXICO/GUATEMALA BORDER. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. INTERESTS FROM PUNTA MALDONADO TO ZIHUATANEJO SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF LESTER. SMALL CRAFT ALONG THE GUATEMALA COAST SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 5 PM PDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.8 WEST OR ABOUT 135 MILES ...220 KM...SOUTHEAST OF HUATULCO MEXICO. LESTER IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH... 8 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS...BRINGING THE CENTER OF LESTER TO THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA. SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED SLIGHTLY TO NEAR 85 MPH...135 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING...PRIOR TO LANDFALL...IS POSSIBLE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES... 45 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM. AS THE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE HURRICANE AT 2100Z IT REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 989 MB...29.21 INCHES. BASED ON THIS AND MORE RECENT SATELLITE INTENSITY MEASUREMENTS THE CENTRAL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 985 MB...29.09 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...TOTALLING 5 TO 10 INCHES WITH WITH POSSIBLY MUCH LARGER AMOUNTS OVER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS...COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. STORM TIDES OF 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...COULD OCCUR NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. REPEATING THE 5 PM PDT POSITION...14.4 N... 94.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NORTHWEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 85 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...985 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 PM PDT. JARVINEN NNNN