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Pamela expected to hit Mazatlán as a Category 3 hurricane

Mazatlán, Sinaloa — Hurricane Pamela is considered a dangerous threat to Mexico as it heads toward Mazatlán. Pamela is expected to land near the resort city as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning.

According to weather forecasts, the storm’s convective pattern has undergone a pronounced bursting phase since the previous advisory. The storm will likely slowly turn northward before moving toward the northeast at a faster forward speed Tuesday night.

“The combination of a tight inner-core wind field, low vertical shear, very warm sea-surface temperatures, and a moist mid-level environment should allow for Pamela to rapid intensify for the next 36 hours, possibly even right up until Pamela reaches the coast of Mexico,” they report.

According to the NOAA, Pamela is forecast to be a major hurricane when it reaches the coast of west-central mainland Mexico on Wednesday. Area residents are being warned of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds.

Hurricane Pamela is located south of the Baja California Peninsula, approaching Sinaloa. Its wide circulation will cause very strong to intense occasional rains that can generate flooding or landslides in the northwest and west of the coast. Pamela will also bring very strong to intense wind gusts and high waves of 3 to 4 meters on the coasts of Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Baja California Sur.

As of 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, Pamela was located 365 km west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco and 425 km south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, BCS. She is approaching Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 km/h and gusts of 150 km/h.

A tropical storm watch is in effect from Los Barriles to Cabo San Lucas, BCS.