ZCZC MIATCPEP4 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM BULLETIN HURRICANE LESTER ADVISORY NUMBER 16 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIAMI FL 2 PM PDT SUN OCT 18 1998 ...LESTER MOVING WESTWARD...THREAT LESSENS FOR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF MEXICO... HURRICANE WARNINGS REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SALINA CRUZ TO ACAPULCO MEXICO. A HURRICANE WATCH CONTINUES FROM WEST OF ACAPULCO TO ZIHUATANEJO. THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO WILL LIKELY DISCONTINUE THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS LATER TODAY. ALL INTERESTS IN THE WATCH AND WARNING AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF LESTER SINCE COASTAL SECTIONS COULD STILL EXPERIENCE SOME EFFECTS OF THIS HURRICANE. SMALL CRAFT FROM SALINA CRUZ TO ZIHUATANEJO SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE. AT 2 PM PDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE LESTER WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.3 NORTH...LONGITUDE 99.0 WEST OR ABOUT 180 MILES ...290 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF ACAPULCO MEXICO. LESTER IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 8 MPH ...13 KM/HR...AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE. HOWEVER A NORTHWARD DEVIATION FROM THIS COURSE COULD STILL POSSIBLY BRING THE HURRICANE NEARER TO THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NOW NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME INCREASE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 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. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 973 MB...28.73 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. STORM TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL LEVELS... ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...COULD OCCUR ALONG THE COAST IN THE WARNED AREA. REPEATING THE 2 PM PDT POSITION...14.3 N... 99.0 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD ...WEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 973 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. GUINEY NNNN