Meteorologists with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) are warning that tropical storm watches and warnings could be issued as soon as Tuesday should a new system in the Eastern Pacific form.
Newsweek has reached out to the NHC by email for comment on Monday.
Why It Matters
Should it form, Tropical Storm Lorena will be the 12th named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The Eastern Pacific season begins May 15, two weeks earlier than the Central Pacific and Atlantic hurricane seasons. Each season runs through November 30.
The NHC is currently tracking Tropical Storm Kiko in the Eastern Pacific basin, and the center also is warning that Lorena has a 90 percent chance of forming within the next seven days.
What To Know
On Monday, the NHC warned that tropical storm watches and warnings for the new system could be issued as soon as Tuesday.
“A disturbance offshore SW Mexico is becoming better organized & is expected to become a tropical depression within 2 days,” NHC Pacific posted on X. “Interests in #BajaCaliforniaSur should monitor its progress, as watches or warnings could be required on Tuesday.”
In the most recent update for the disturbance, the NHC said showers and thunderstorms associated with a tropical wave are located less than 150 miles off the coast of southwestern Mexico. The storms are becoming better organized, the update added, with winds up to 35 miles per hour being present, according to satellite data. A system becomes a tropical storm once winds reach 39 mph.
“This system is expected to become a tropical depression by the middle of the week,” NHC said.
Early forecasts for the storm path anticipate it will move west-northwest to northwest. There’s a chance the storm will take a northward turn, bringing it closer to Baja California by later this week.
“Interests in the Baja California peninsula should monitor the progress of the disturbance, as watches or warnings could be required for portions of this area on Tuesday,” NHC warned.
AccuWeather warned that the developing system could bring some indirect impacts, such as heavy rain, across the U.S. Southwest.
What People Are Saying
NHC in an update about the new system: “Regardless of development, heavy rainfall is possible across coastal portions of southwestern and west-central Mexico today through mid-week. Heavy rainfall is also expected across Baja California Sur and northwestern Mexico Tuesday night through late this week. This heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding, especially in mountainous areas.”
AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said in a report: “We are watching the potential for a tropical rainstorm closer to home that could bring impacts to western Mexico and the southwestern U.S. this week.”
What Happens Next?
NHC meteorologists will continue monitoring the system and issuing updates as needed.
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