Bonnie Finds a Better Life in Eastern Pacific, Becomes a Hurricane
After a long struggle to become a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean, and many missed marks, Bonnie is in a better situation in Eastern Pacific. The storm continues to intensify and is forecast to be a high-end Category 2 hurricane.
On the latest advisory released by the National Hurricane Center, Bonnie has 1-minute sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) with a minimum central pressure of 987 millibars. It is quite far from the Mexican coast being 155 mi. (250 km) south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico and is moving west-northwestward at a speed of 18 mph (30 kph.) An eye feature is clearly evident on satellite imagery, as shown in the video below.
Despite being far from the Mexican coast, no tropical storm or hurricane watches/warnings are in place. However, Bonnie is expected to affect parts of Mexico. The outer rainbands of the storm will bring heavy rainfall for days in southwestern Mexico. These could result in flooding, especially to low-lying areas. Swells from Bonnie are also expected across the southern and southwestern Mexican coasts. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are likely and the NHC advises people to consult local weather offices for more updates.
Hurricane Bonnie is expected to travel across the Eastern Pacific getting farther away from the Mexican coast. It is forecast to continuously intensify and reach its peak as a Category 2 Hurricane on Wednesday, with winds of up to 105mph. Calm conditions in the Eastern Pacific coupled with appreciable sea surface temperatures will support the storm for at least the next five days.
Overall, Bonnie stands as a rather rare feat, as it originated in Atlantic’s Main Development Region and was designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone on June 27, becoming a Tropical Cyclone by July 1 near the Nicaraguan coast. It then entered the Eastern Pacific basin retaining its circulation, hence its name the next day.
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