ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER ADVISORY NUMBER 8 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 PM PDT FRI OCT 16 1998 ...LESTER BECOMES A HURRICANE...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 2 PM PDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.7 WEST OR ABOUT 140 MILES ...225 KM...SOUTHEAST OF HUATULCO MEXICO. LESTER IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH... 9 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 PICTURES AND DATA FROM A U.S. AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH...130 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. A LITTLE ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST PRIOR TO LANDFALL. 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. LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 992 MB...29.29 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 2 PM PDT POSITION...14.4 N... 94.7 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS... 80 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...992 MB. AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 5 PM PDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 8 PM PDT. RAPPAPORT NNNN