Hurricane Lester was a small but powerful tropical cyclone that caused heavy flooding in Central America and southern Mexico in October 1998. Lester was the fifteenth tropical cyclone,twelfth named storm and eighth hurricane of the 1998 Pacific hurricane season. Lester originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa on September 29. Under favorable conditions,the storm was classified as a tropical depression on October 15. The depression was upgraded to a tropical storm later that day and a hurricane on October 16. After undergoing fluctuations in intensity,Lester reached peak winds of 115mph (185km/h),a Category3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. After several days,it degenerated into a tropical storm on October 26,and dissipated shortly after. The hurricane made its closest approach to land on October 28,producing moderate winds and heavy rainfall. A mudslide triggered by the precipitation killed two children,although damage is unknown.
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on September 29, which spawned Atlantic Hurricane Lisa. The wave axis continued westward, crossing Central America into the eastern Pacific. A low-level circulation developed on October 13 about 170 miles (270km) south of the border between El Salvador and Guatemala. The system drifted northwestward, and as convection increased around the center a banding featured began to develop. At 00:00UTC on October 15, the National Hurricane Center designated it as Tropical Depression Fourteen-E.[1] A large system with good outflow, the depression was in a favorable area, including warm water and low vertical wind shear.[2] Thunderstorm activity organized close to the center,[3] and by 18:00UTC on October15, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Lester.[1]
Moving generally westward, Lester attained hurricane intensity on October16, as confirmed by the Hurricane Hunters.[4] The first signs of an eye began to appear embedded within a ring of deep convection by early on October 17.[5] Lester became nearly stationary due to a shortwave passing north of the system.[1] The hurricane made its closest approach to land on October 18, about 70 miles (110km) south of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca.[1] Later that day, Lester weakened into a minimal hurricane,[6] and the intensity fluctuated due to wind shear from a nearby upper-level low.[7] On October 20, the hurricane regained organization and again intensified.[1] Lester reached a peak intensity of 115mph (185km/h) on October 22, about 355 miles (571km) southwest of Manzanillo, Colima. Coinciding with its peak intensity, a shortwave trough caused Lester to stall before turning to the southwest and weakening.[1] Early on October 23, Lester rapidly lost deep convection, and it fell to tropical storm status.[1] By October 24, the low-level center of circulation became exposed from the cloud structure,[8] and at 0000UTC on October 26, Lester had degenerated into a tropical depression, about 500 miles (800km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California Peninsula, shortly before dissipating.[1]
In anticipation of the storm, the government of Mexico issued a hurricane warning from Puerto Arista to Punta Maldonaldo and later from Salina Cruz to Acapulco. A tropical storm warning was also issued from Sipacate, Guatemala to Puerto Arista, Mexico.[1] The threat of the hurricane prompted officials to order the evacuation of 3,000people along the southern coast of Mexico to 500 emergency shelters.[9]
The storm dropped heavy rainfall across southwestern Guatemala. Up to 9 inches (230mm) of rainfall was reported in localized areas along the Pacific coast of the country. Moisture brought around the northeast periphery of the Sierra Madre Occidental led to a narrow band of heavy rainfall along the upslope side of the mountain range, with a local precipitation maximum exceeding 14 inches (360mm).[10] It is reported that tropical-storm-force winds occurred along coastal areas of southern Mexico.[1] The rainfall destroyed some houses and killed numerous livestock, and triggered a mudslide which killed two children.[11][12][13] In Honduras, rainfall from Lester destroyed a bridge which affected transportation for about 1,000people.[14] Heavy rainfall was reported in Chiapas, causing moderate river flooding.[9]
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