Tropical Storm Octave Could Dump 8+ Inches of Rain Over Mexico's Baja, Calif., Peninsula

By Myles Collier, Christian Post Contributor Monday, October 14, 2013

Tropical Storm Octave is moving steady close to the southern point of Mexico's Baja California peninsula with the storm expected to bring heavy rains to the region.

The storm is located about 315 miles south of the peninsula's tip and was traveling north-northwest at about 13 miles per hour, according to Miami's National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Forecasters revealed that Octave had maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 65 miles per hour and its strength was expected to deteriorate in the next 24 hours, the NHC said.

Forecasters said Octave should become a tropical depression Tuesday by the time it nears the Baja California peninsula and there were no hazards affecting land, according to the NHC advisory.

Octave is expected to produce between 3 and 6 inches of rain over much of the peninsula, with up to 8 inches possible, forecasters said.

There is another tropical storm which has formed in the eastern Pacific south of Tropical Storm Octave, which is approaching Mexico and which is expected to make landfall.

Tropical storm Priscilla had maximum sustained winds early Monday near 40 mph and it is expected to strengthen some in the next 24 hours.

Priscilla is centered about 705 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California and is moving north-northeast around 12 mph.

According to NHC, the hurricane season in the Atlantic starts June 1 and ends five months later on Nov. 30. For the Eastern Pacific, hurricane season lasts longer, beginning on May 15 and ends six months after on Nov. 30 as well.

This year has been particular quite for the Western pacific in terms of named storms, but it has been a relatively active season in the Eastern Pacific, with 12 named storms so far this season. On average, there are only three Eastern Pacific hurricanes by the first week of August, with hurricane season running until Nov. 1.