Storm Aletta named as first tropical storm to strike Mexico coast top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Aletta was upgraded to a category 4 hurricane on Friday at 11am EDT (4pm BST). The hurricane has severely strengthened over the last 24 hours. Aletta is expected to remain a hurricane through Saturday before weakening and being downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday. The Weather Channel said: "Infrared satellite imagery indicates that showers and thundershowers are become better located near Aletta's centre of circulation. An eye began to appear by midday Thursday, which is a sure sign of intensification. "Fortunately, a dome of high pressure aloft over northern Mexico will steer Aletta away from the Mexican coast on a general west-northwest track into early next week." At 2pm on Thursday local time (10pm BST), the hurricane was travelling an estimated 600 miles south of the Mexican city Cabo San Lucas. The official hurricane season started on June 1 and Aletta was the first tropical storm named in the eastern North Pacific Basin this season. 10.09pm: NASA satellites shows ‘intensifying hurricane Aletta’ A NASA satellite flying over the eye of hurricane Aletta has observed “extreme downpours” indicating rainfall was pounding down at a rate of 142 mm (5.6 inches) per hour. The observations were made on June 7 at 6.38pm local time (June 8 at 1.38am BST) before Aletta was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane. NASA Precipitation shared a 3D graphic of the precipitation which showed “tall convective were reaching heights above 15km (9.3 miles). In a website statement, NASA Precipitation said: “The heat released by condensation within these tall thunderstorms provided fuel for Aletta's intensification.” Hurricane Aletta 2018 path LIVE: The eye of the storm 8.46pm: Second area of low pressure is ‘likely’ to become named storm by weekend While people are looking to see what happens with Aletta, another area of low pressure may well become a named storm by Saturday. The Weather Channel said: “To the east of Aletta, another area of low pressure, a tropical wave, is given high odds by the NHC to develop into a tropical depression or tropical storm this weekend south of the Mexican Riviera. “If it eventually becomes a tropical storm, it would earn the name Bud.” 7.30pm: Surfers and swimmers warned of ‘life-threatening surf’ along Mexican west coast and Baja California Sur As Aleta continues to grow in strength, coastal residents in Mexico are being urged to stay vigilant of rip tides and high waves later on today and tomorrow. Cyclocane said: “Swells generated by Aletta will begin to affect portions of the coast of west-central mainland Mexico and the west coast of Baja California Sur later today and will continue through the weekend. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.” 7.25pm: Wind speeds latest Current Wind Speed 120 knots / 140 MPH Max Predicted Wind Speed 125 knots / 145 MPH at Friday, 09 Jun 2018 at 1am. 6.15pm: Meteorologist says Aletta’s “rapid intensification was not well forecast” Aletta's rapid upgrade into a Category 4 storm was not predicted by experts, according to a meteorologist. Dr. Jeff Masters wrote on the Weather Underground website: “Aletta put on a remarkable display of rapid intensification overnight Thursday, with the winds increasing by 70 mph in just 24 hours. “Aletta was merely a tropical storm with 70 mph winds at 11 am EDT Thursday, but by Friday at 11 am, the hurricane had morphed into a fierce Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds. “This rapid intensification episode was not well-forecast; the official NHC intensity forecast made at 11 am EDT Thursday called for Aletta to peak with 100 mph winds.” He shared official NOAA data showing Aletta is now the sixth earilest Category 4 Eastern Pacific hurricane since records began. Hurricane Aletta 2018 path LIVE: NOAA has captured the eye of the storm 6pm: What does category 4 hurricane mean? A category 4 hurricane is the second highest possible level in terms of intensity on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale (SSHS). Wind speeds typically measuring between 130 and 156 mph (209 to 251 km/h) have the power to flatten homes. The Unite States deadliest natural disaster - the 1900 Galveston hurricane - was equivalent to a modern-day Category 4 storm. The most recent Category 4 storm to hit the US was Harvey in 2017, which displaced more than 30,000 people and cost the US $125 billion in damages. 4.40pm: Hurricane Aletta bumped up to category 4 level Hurricane Aletta was officially moved up to a category 4 level hurricane as of 11am EDT (4pm BST) with 140mph wind speeds. The storm is currently 500 miles south of Mexico's Baja Peninsula but is not expected to hit land. The Weather Channel said: “Infrared satellite imagery now shows a distinct, 20-mile diameter eye, with deep convection surrounding it.” 3pm: Hurricane path update Hurricane Aletta remains at category 3 with current speeds of 120mph. The hurricane is 475 mi WSW of Manzanillo, Mexicao. 2.55pm: Kat Hopps takes over live reporting 1.46pm update: Wind speeds racing By Saturday morning, winds will have reached mega speeds of 120mph with a pressure of almost 1,000mb. On Sunday, this is expected to reduce to 80mph by early morning - and again reducing to 45mph by Monday. As of Wednesday, the winds will cut right down to around 25mph. 12.34pm update: Latest spaghetti maps show one path could take Aletta to make landfall Spaghetti maps from Cyclocane tracking the path of Hurricane Aletta suggest the whirling vortex will track further out to see in a northwesterly direction. However, one string shows the path of the storm tracking towards San Diego. While this is considered extremely unlikely, hurricanes are unpredictable. Hurricane Aletta: Latest spaghetti maps on the path 12.28pm update: Aletta rapidly intensifying The Weather Channel said: "Aletta may gain a bit more intensity before the combination of increased wind shear and decreasing ocean heat content take their typical toll. "Fortunately, a dome of high pressure aloft over northern Mexico is steering Aletta away from the Mexican coast on a general west-northwest track the next several days." 11.15am update: 2018 hurricane season forecast In its 2018 seasonal forecast, NOAA called for an 80 percent chance of a near-to-above-average season in both the Eastern and Central Pacific basins. And they predicted a total of 14 to 20 named storms, 7 to 12 hurricanes, and 3 to 7 major hurricanes. In 2017, the basin saw 18 named storms, 9 of which become hurricanes, with 4 classified as major storms (category 3 or higher). 10.39am update: Hurricane Aletta could be upgraded to Cat 4 In a recent release from the National Hurricane Centre, it has been warned that hurricane Aletta could become a category four hurricane later today. It is still expected that the hurricane will experience significant weakening by this weekend. Coastal regions of Acapulco to Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos have been told to monitor a second system which threatens to form in the next week. There are warnings of a higher risk that this system could make direct impacts to the Mexico coast. Hurricane Aletta path: The storm is the first hurricane of the season 9.51am update: Wind speeds latest Current Wind Speed 105 knots / 120 MPH Max Predicted Wind Speed 115 knots / 130 MPH at Friday, 08 Jun 2018 1:00 PM 9.28am update: Satellite images indicate that Aletta has continued to rapidly intensify The NHC warned the emergence of the eye of the storm meant the hurricane was getting stronger, saying the swirling vortex has a "very deep convection in the eyewall and a warm eye".<doc-sep>Tropical Storm Aletta becomes first hurricane of 2018 top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The tropical storm was upgraded to a hurricane on Thursday. It is currently category one and had severely strengthened over the last 24 hours. Aletta is expected to remain a hurricane through Saturday before weakening and being downgraded to a tropical storm on Sunday. At 2pm on Thursday local time (10pm BST) the hurricane was travelling an estimated 600 miles south of the Mexican city Cabo San Lucas. Initially Aletta had been outputting winds of 45 miles per hour before severely intensifying Aletta is not expected to pose a threat to land as it travels in a northwesterly direction. The hurricane is expected to gain strength over the next day before eventually weakening. Forecasters have been monitoring any showers and thunderstorms appearing south of Mexico’s coastline since last weekend as they desperately attempted to predict whether Aletta could pose a danger to the region. Prior to the announcement from the National Hurricane Centre, experts had predicted Aletta would be upgraded as it vastly gained strength. Storm Aletta named as first tropical storm to strike Mexico coast Dan Kottlowski, from AccuWeather, said: “Aletta should become a hurricane Friday or during the upcoming weekend.” The official hurricane season started on June 1 and Aletta was the first tropical storm named in the eastern North Pacific Basin this season. Initially Aletta had been outputting winds of 45 miles per hour before severely intensifying. Flash flooding in areas is not expected but showers and thunderstorms are a possibility in the Mexican regions from Oaxaca to Jalisco on Friday. Aletta is not expected to pose a threat to land as it travels in a northwesterly direction Rip currents and rough seas could strike beaches from Acapulco to Mazatlan and southern Baja California thanks to Aletta’s force. Forecaster AccuWeather has predicted a second tropical threat could develop towards the south of southern Mexico into the weekend or next week. It is understood this threat could track closer to the nation’s coastline than Aletta. The hurricane is expected to gain strength over the next day before eventually weakening<doc-sep>Tropical Storm Aletta becomes first hurricane of 2018 top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. Hurricane Aletta started as tropical depression on Tuesday night before it quickly reached tropical storm status the following morning. The tropical system continued to strengthen into a hurricane and by early Friday morning, Aletta had turned into a major hurricane, reaching Category 4 hurricane status only a few hours later. However, it quickly dropped back to Category 2 status early this morning. Accuweather has predicted the hurricane will track west-northwest away from the Mexico coastline into the weekend. Forecasters believe Aletta will keep the worst conditions well offshore, which will limit the potential for any threats to land. Flash flooding and damaging winds are not expected from the hurricane at the start of next week. More widespread showers and thunderstorms may hit from Oaxaca to Jalisco over the next few days, however. Rough seas and dangerous rip currents will threaten beaches from Acapulco to Mazatlan as well as southern Baja California. A map showing Hurricane Aletta's movements The National Hurricane Centre in Miami has so far issued no warnings for the US People who get caught in a rip current are advised to swim parallel to shore until free of its influence. Disturbed weather has now been identified in the southeast of Acapulco on Friday and is expected to turn into a tropical system over the weekend and early next week. This system is expected to move northwestward as it strengthens, tracking closer to the Mexico coastline than Aletta. This storm could intensify to tropical storm strength this weekend and could be named Bud. Accuweather highlights the areas affected by the hurricane Hurricane Aletta path MAPS: Category 3 hurricane forms near Mexico Fri, June 8, 2018 Hurricane Aletta 2018: Maps show the predicted path and winds speeds of tropical storm near Mexico. Play slideshow National Hurricane Center 1 of 12 The National Hurricane Center revealed maps showing Hurricane Aletta<doc-sep>
Tropical Storm Aletta becomes first hurricane of 2018 The 2018 hurricane season in the USA is off to a quick start, as Hurricane Aletta storms off the Mexican coast. So far, the storm is not threatening to make landfall but authorities say it is too soon to know how it will advance. It is expected the hurricane will push other systems to the land, with local flash flooding a possibility along with heavy rain and thunderstorms. NHC data from 1971 to 2009 predicts Aletta could be the tip of hurricane season, as the first named storms generally appear around June 10. Where is Hurricane Aletta? Hurricane Aletta has been upgraded to a category three hurricane, with winds progressing to near 120mph. The hurricane is currently just over 450 miles off the Mexican coast, south of the Baja Peninsula. Throughout the day, Aletta is expected to continue advancement before weakening later this weekend. By Sunday, authorities expect Aletta will be downgraded to a tropical storm. Hurricane Aletta becomes the first named hurricane of 2018, developing off the coast of Mexico Hurricane Alexa is not expected to make landfall, but could push other weather systems to land A second tropical system is expected to develop later this week which could become a named storm by the weekend. As a rapidly intensifying hurricane, Aletta is much more difficult to forecast, so last second changes are possible. At the time of writing it is believed that Aletta will continue its course off the coast, not making landfall. Regardless, interests along the Mexican coast from Acapulco to Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos have been advised to keep an eye on the storm. The National Hurricane Centre has advised that there is a potential threat to life with Aletta possibly generating storm swells and rip tides. Hurricane Aletta's projected path Hurricane Aletta path MAPS: Category 3 hurricane forms near Mexico Fri, June 8, 2018 Hurricane Aletta 2018: Maps show the predicted path and winds speeds of tropical storm near Mexico. Play slideshow National Hurricane Center 1 of 12 The National Hurricane Center revealed maps showing Hurricane Aletta