Hurricane Tammy strengthens in the Atlantic; Otis slams Mexico as Category 5

Katlyn Brieskorn
·3 min read
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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Tammy continued to strengthen over the open Atlantic on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of the latest forecast, Tammy’s winds have increased to 105 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane.

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The NHC said Tammy is located about 515 miles south-southeast of Bermuda. The storm is expected to make a northward turn on Wednesday, followed by a slower northwestward motion on Thursday and Friday.

Tammy is forecast to begin weakening as it nears Bermuda and will become a powerful post-tropical cyclone by Thursday, according to the NHC. A cold front sweeping across the U.S. will help “nudge” it westward, keeping it away from the U.S.

“Bermuda will be impacted, but it looks like that’s about it, as far as this storm goes,” WFLA Meteorologist Rebecca Barry said.

Hurricane Otis slams Mexico as a Category 5 storm

  • This satellite image provided by NOAA on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, shows Hurricane Otis approaching Mexico’s Pacific coast near Acapulco. Otis is forecast to make landfall early Wednesday and there is a hurricane warning in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo. (NOAA via AP)
    This satellite image provided by NOAA on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, shows Hurricane Otis approaching Mexico’s Pacific coast near Acapulco. Otis is forecast to make landfall early Wednesday and there is a hurricane warning in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo. (NOAA via AP)
  • Tourists swim in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)
    Tourists swim in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)
  • A tourist rides a horse at a beach in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)
    A tourist rides a horse at a beach in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)
  • Tourists sit on the beach in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)
    Tourists sit on the beach in Acapulco, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Hurricane Otis has strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours as it approaches Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bernardino Hernandez)

Meanwhile, the Pacific cost of Mexico is reeling from a hit from Hurricane Otis. The catastrophic Category 5 storm slammed Acapulco and nearby towns overnight with 165 mph winds.

Otis rapidly intensified Tuesday, growing from a tropical storm to a Category 5 monster in just 12 hours. It is the strongest hurricane to impact Acapulco.

“There are only seven other storms that have had this rapid intensification in such a short time,” Matthew Wine, Chief Meteorologist at Nexstar’s WDHN, said. “The only one in the Atlantic was Wilma. Most were in the western Pacific or southern Indian oceans.”

The 5 to 10 inches of rain forecast, with as much as 15 inches possible in some areas, raised the threat of landslides and floods. The storm has weakened considerably since reaching land and is expected to dissipate Wednesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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