Agatha, first hurricane of Pacific season, headed for Mexico. Threat to Florida uncertain

Rachael Thomas, Naples Daily News
·2 min read
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Days before the official start of the 2022 hurricane season, Agatha has become the first hurricane to develop over the Pacific Ocean. The storm is expected to make landfall along Mexico's southwestern coast Monday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said.

Agatha was a Category 1 hurricane Sunday, with 85 mile per hour winds. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen rapidly and make landfall at nearly major hurricane intensity Monday. Hurricane watches and warnings are in effect along Mexico's southern coastlines as forecasters warn of coastal flooding and dangerous winds Sunday night and into Monday.

Hurricane Agatha is expected to make landfall along the southern coast of Mexico Monday
Hurricane Agatha is expected to make landfall along the southern coast of Mexico Monday

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Agatha is expected to rapidly weaken as it moves inland over Mexico, but there is a chance the storm's remnant could move over the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean Sea and develop into a new tropical system there. There's a 30% chance an area of low pressure could form into a tropical cyclone over the southwest Gulf of Mexico or northwest Caribbean Sea in the next five days, the NHC said Sunday.

The first Atlantic storm name for 2022 is Alex.

A graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows where an area of low pressure could form in the next 5 days. There's 30% chance of tropical cyclone development during that time.
A graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows where an area of low pressure could form in the next 5 days. There's 30% chance of tropical cyclone development during that time.

Hurricane Agatha is the first named storm of the 2022 Pacific season

Agatha is the first named storm to form over the Pacific in 2022, and only the third hurricane on record to form in the region during the month of May. The storm will approach the southern coast of Mexico on Sunday night and make landfall Monday.

  • Location: About 200 miles west-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico

  • Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph

  • Movement: North-northwest at 2 mph

Hurricane outlook for the Atlantic Basin

Meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are expecting another busy hurricane season in the Atlantic this year, with 14-21 named storms and as many as 10 hurricanes. A typical season sees about 7 hurricanes.

Bookmark this: Track all active storms on an interactive map

Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. Atlantic tropical cyclone activity peaks in August and September.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hurricane Agatha threatens Mexico in Pacific. Florida threat uncertain