(Image courtesy of NOAA)

From NOAA:

Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Kenneth, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in that basin so late in the season, has peaked in strength as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Weakening will begin Wednesday and continue through the remainder of the week, becoming a remnant low by the weekend. Kenneth is centered nearly 800 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja, California. It’s moving to the west, and a turn to the west-northwest is expected Wednesday.

The hurricane is not a threat to land.

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HURRICANE KENNETH DISCUSSION NUMBER 15
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
100 AM PST WED NOV 23 2011

KENNETH IS NOW RAPIDLY WEAKENING. MICROWAVE IMAGES INDICATE THAT THE WESTERN HALF OF THE EYEWALL HAS ERODED LEAVING THE CENTER OF
THE HURRICANE TO THE WEST OF THE DEEPEST CONVECTION.

CONTINUED STEADY WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS KENNETH MOVES OVER COOLER WATERS AND INTO AN ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT OF MODERATE WESTERLY SHEAR AND DRIER AIR.

THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS LOWERED FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE AND IS IN BEST AGREEMENT WITH THE SHIPS AND LGEM GUIDANCE. IT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISING IF KENNETH WEAKENS EVEN FASTER THAN FORECAST.

CONVENTIONAL SATELLITE AND MICROWAVE FIXES SUGGEST THAT THE HURRICANE IS NO LONGER MOVING SOUTH OF DUE WEST … AND THE LATEST INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS 270/8. THE MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD
AGREEMENT IN SHOWING A DEEP-LAYER TROUGH MOVING TO THE NORTH OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

THIS PATTERN SHOULD ALLOW KENNETH TO TURN WEST-NORTHWESTWARD LATER WEDNESDAY AND MAINTAIN THAT TRACK THROUGH THURSDAY. BEYOND THAT TIME, A RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD TO THE NORTH OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE, WHICH SHOULD CAUSE A SHALLOWER AND WEAKER KENNETH TO TURN BACK TO THE WEST.

DISSIPATION IS NOW SHOWN BY DAY 5 … IN AGREEMENT WITH MOST OF THE GLOBAL MODELS.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 23/0900Z 12.5N 116.5W 95 KT 110 MPH
12H 23/1800Z 13.1N 117.8W 80 KT 90 MPH
24H 24/0600Z 13.8N 119.4W 70 KT 80 MPH
36H 24/1800Z 14.4N 120.9W 60 KT 70 MPH
48H 25/0600Z 14.7N 122.9W 50 KT 60 MPH
72H 26/0600Z 15.0N 127.8W 30 KT 35 MPH
96H 27/0600Z 16.0N 133.5W 25 KT 30 MPH…POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
120H 28/0600Z…DISSIPATED

— Find out more:
www.hurricanes.gov