Discussion and 48-hour outlook------------------------------
at 700 am CDT...1200 UTC...the center of Hurricane Paula was located near latitude 18.1 north...longitude 85.4 west. Paula is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph...17 km/hr. A turn toward the north-northwest and north is expected later today and Wednesday. On the forecast track...the center of Paula will approach the East Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula within the Hurricane Warning area tonight and Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 75 mph...120 km/hr...with higher gusts...and these winds are confined to a small area near the center. Paula is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Some slight strengthening is possible during the next day or two.
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 10 miles...20 km...from the center...and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 60 miles...95 km.
Estimated minimum central pressure is 992 mb...29.29 inches.
