ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER ADVISORY NUMBER 18 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 AM PDT MON OCT 19 1998 ...LESTER CONTINUES TOWARD THE WEST... AT 2 AM PDT...0900 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO HAS DISCONTINUED THE HURRICANE WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO. THE HURRICANE WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED WESTWARD TO PUNTA SAN TELMO. A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEST OF ACAPULCO TO PUNTA SAN TELMO. AT 2 AM PDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 100.8 WEST OR ABOUT 235 MILES...385 KM...SOUTH OF ZIHUATANEJO MEXICO. LESTER IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH ...15 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...160 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 25 MILES... 35 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES...110 KM. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 975 MB...28.79 INCHES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHERN MEXICO DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THESE RAINS COULD PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. SMALL CRAFT ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTHERN MEXICO FROM SALINA CRUZ TO ZIHUATANEJO SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. REPEATING THE 2 AM PDT POSITION...14.2 N...100.8 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...100 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 975 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 AM PDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 8 AM PDT. PASCH NNNN