ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 10A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 5 AM PDT SAT OCT 17 1998 ...LESTER NEARLY STATIONARY AND STRENGTHENING... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FROM PUERTO ARISTA TO PUNTA MALDONADO. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEST OF PUNTA MALDONADO TO ACAPULCO. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION IN THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA. INTERESTS FROM WEST OF ACAPULCO TO ZIHUATANEJO SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF LESTER. SMALL CRAFT EAST OF PUERTO ARISTA TO THE GUATEMALA BORDER SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 5 AM PDT...1200Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND SATELLITE PICTURES NEAR LATITUDE 14.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 95.3 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES...180 KM... SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF HUATULCO MEXICO. LESTER HAS BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY BUT IT SHOULD BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 7 MPH...11 KM/HR...LATER TODAY. THIS MOTION WOULD KEEP THE CORE OF THE HURRICANE ON A TRACK VERY NEAR AND PARALLEL TO THE COASTLINE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA. HOWEVER...ANY DEVIATION TO THE NORTH WOULD BRING THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE INLAND. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 95 MPH...155 KM/HR ...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING LESTER. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES... 55 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM. LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 973 MB...28.73 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...TOTALLING 5 TO 10 INCHES 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 AS THE HURRICANE APPROACHES THE COAST. REPEATING THE 5 AM PDT POSITION...14.5 N... 95.3 W. MOVEMENT NEARLY STATIONARY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 95 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 973 MB. THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 8 AM PDT. AVILA/RAPPAPORT NNNN