Hurricane Marie is one bad mamma jamma. Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Whipping up off the Mexican coast in the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Marie strengthened from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in the mere 24 hours between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. According to multiple results, this upgrade was the result of sustained winds of up to 160 miles per hour. Marie has since weakened, but at 2:00 p.m. PDT Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration still rated it a Category 4.
Its current trajectory has it moving northwest, away from land, and thereby will not have significant direct impact on the United States. The storm will, however, have sizable effects up and down the Mexican and southern California coast in the way of high surf and rip currents. The wake of Lowell and Karina were noticeably weaker themselves by late weekend, but Hurricane Marie will bring new swells, building from Tuesday into Thursday.
In motion, as of 5:02 p.m. PDT on Monday (8/25) evening. Photo: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Marie is the first ‘cane to be labeled a Category 5 in four-plus years — the strongest in the area since Hurricane Celia in 2010 — but the fifth major hurricane to form in the basin this year.
Surfline posted a surf update late Sunday night.
On the other hand, Tropical Cristobal off the eastern shore will have a substantially lesser effects on the United States than sensational reports initially claim. That being said, east coasters should still expect high(er) waves.
For more “real-time” visual updates of the massive storm, check out the imagery from the GOES-14 satellite which is snapping a shot of Hurricane Marie every minute.
