Hurricane Alex has been upgraded to a category 2 storm says the National Hurricane Centre.

Alex is very near making landfall in northern Mexico, near Texas, with sustained winds of 155km/h.

The latest advisory from the NHC…

SUMMARY OF 600 PM CDT…2300 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-

• LOCATION…24.4N 97.2W
• ABOUT 55 MI…90 KM NE OF LA PESCA MEXICO
• ABOUT 105 MI…170 KM S OF BROWNSVILLE TEXAS
• MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…100 MPH…155 KM/HR
• PRESENT MOVEMENT…W OR 270 DEGREES AT 12 MPH…19 KM/HR
• MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…950 MB…28.05 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* THE COAST OF TEXAS SOUTH OF BAFFIN BAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE
* THE COAST OF MEXICO FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE TO LA CRUZ

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IN IN EFFECT FOR...
* THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT OCONNOR
* THE COAST OF MEXICO SOUTH OF LA CRUZ TO CABO ROJO

DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
AT 600 PM CDT…2300 UTC…THE EYE OF HURRICANE ALEX WAS LOCATED
BY A RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR FROM
BROWNSVILLE NEAR LATITUDE 24.4 NORTH…LONGITUDE 97.2 WEST. ALEX IS
MOVING THE WEST NEAR 12 MPH…19 KM/HR. THIS GENERAL MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL LANDFALL IN NORTHEASTERN MEXICO IN A FEW
HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH…155
KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALEX IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS
POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL. WEAKENING IS LIKELY AFTER THE CENTER
CROSSES THE COASTLINE.

ALEX IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES…110 KM…FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES…335 KM PRIMARILY
TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE CENTER. A MEXICAN NAVY AUTOMATED STATION
IN MATAMOROS REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 49 MPH…78 KM/HR AND AN
UNOFFICIAL WEATHER STATION ON SOUTH PADRE ISLAND REPORTED A WIND
GUST OF 60 MPH…97 KM/HR.

LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE
HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 950 MB…28.05 INCHES.

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
RAINFALL…ALEX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN
TEXAS…WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 20 INCHES. THESE RAINS
COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES…
ESPECIALLY OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE BROWNSVILLE DOPPLER RADAR
SHOWS NUMEROUS RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH ALEX AFFECTING THE
SOUTHERN TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN MEXICO COASTS.

WIND…HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST WITHIN
THE HURRICANE WARNING AREA OVER NORTHEASTERN MEXICO SHORTLY.

STORM SURGE…A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY
AS MUCH AS 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST
TO THE NORTH OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. THE WATER COULD
PENETRATE INLAND AS FAR AS SEVERAL MILES FROM THE SHORE WITH DEPTH
GENERALLY DECREASING AS THE STORM TIDE MOVES INLAND. NEAR THE
COAST…THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE
WAVES.

TORNADOES…ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME
SOUTHERN TEXAS TONIGHT.