Hurricane Lidia tracker: projected path and timeline as it hits Mexico

Hurricane Lidia has become another example of rapid intensification going from a Category 1 to a Category 4 Hurricane in just 9.5 hours. The storm’s wind speeds were 140 miles per hour when it slammed into Mexico just south of Puerto Vallarta at 8 pm ET, tying for the third strongest hurricane to make landfall on the nation’s Pacific coast.

As Lidia moved on shore it dropped torrential rains causing rivers to overflow and flooding across western Mexico. The storm has been downgraded to a post tropical storm and continues on its path inland into the central part of the nation. Lidia is expected to dump as much as 8 inches of rain through Wednesday with the potential for some areas to receive up to 12 inches.

Why did Hurricane Lidia intensify so rapidly?

Since 1980, the number of “rapid intensification” events has tripled within 240 miles of the coast according to a research paper in Nature. Rapid intensification is when a hurricane’s wind speeds accelerate by 35 mph or more in less than 24 hours. Predicting rapid intensification is difficult though, mainly because there are so many conditions that must align for it to happen.

However, experts are forecasting that it is becoming the norm as ocean water temperatures get warmer providing the necessary ingredients for hurricane formation. The increased evaporation releases ever more energy to feed the tempests. Additionally, the greater amount of humidity helps strengthen the storm systems. If there is little wind shear at higher altitudes the cyclones can maintain and augment their power.