ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 9A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 11 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 11 PM PDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 95.3 WEST OR ABOUT 110 MILES...180 KM...SOUTHEAST OF HUATULCO MEXICO. LESTER HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 5 MPH...7 KM/HR BUT THE HURRICANE SHOULD RESUME A WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS MOTION WOULD GRADUALLY BRING THE CENTER OF LESTER NEAR THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA ON SATURDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. A SLIGHT INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 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. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 980 MB...28.94 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 NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER CROSSES THE COAST. REPEATING THE 11 PM PDT POSITION...14.5 N... 95.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 5 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 85 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 980 MB. THE NEXT AVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 2 AM PDT... SATURDAY. AVILA NNNN