ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center in Miami on Monday increased the odds of tropical development in the Atlantic Ocean over the next five days to 40%.
It’s because of Hurricane Agatha, a Category 2 Pacific hurricane due to hit Mexico on Monday. After the storm moves over land and eventually dissipates, its remnants could help spawn Tropical Storm Alex, which would be the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
“A large and complex area of low pressure is expected to develop across Central America, the Yucatán Peninsula, and the southwest Gulf of Mexico in a few days, partially related to the remnants of Hurricane Agatha from the eastern Pacific,” the hurricane center said Monday in its 2 p.m. Tropical Weather Outlook.
“Some gradual development is possible within this system in the far southwest Gulf of Mexico around mid-week or in the northwest Caribbean by the latter part of this week as it drifts eastward or northeastward.”
Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Maureen McCann said Monday that it’s too early to tell what the system will develop into and where it would go, but “there are some indications that some of the moisture that is currently approaching Mexico today will lift into the Gulf and it could enhance our rain chances later in the week into next weekend.”
Hurricane Agatha, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph Monday morning, was located about 35 miles southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico. It was moving to the northeast at 8 mph.
“On the forecast track, the center of Agatha will make landfall in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, this afternoon or this evening,” the hurricane center said. “Little change in strength is expected today before Agatha reaches the coast of Oaxaca. Rapid weakening is expected after landfall, and Agatha is forecast to dissipate over southeastern Mexico by late Tuesday.”
Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released its hurricane season predictions. stating that there’s a 65% chance of experiencing an above-average 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, beginning June 1 and running until Nov. 30.
“We always want to be prepared, whether it’s this or any other system – you want to be prepared, not scared,” McCann said.
The prediction comes off the heels last season when there were 21 named storms — the third highest season total ever — and 2020′s record-breaking season of 30 named systems.
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