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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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The Eastern Pacific hurricane season has already started breaking records, with Hurricane Flossie becoming the earliest F-named storm on record.
However, despite its active start, the season has a long way to go before it breaks the record for the greatest number of storms in a year.
Why It Matters
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season began on May 15, two weeks earlier than the Central Pacific and Atlantic hurricane seasons, which started on June 1. Each hurricane season runs through November 30.
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Tropical Storm Alvin kicked off the Eastern Pacific season in late May when it formed off the coast of Mexico and brought heavy rain across the U.S. Southwest. Alvin was followed by Hurricane Barbara, Tropical Storm Cosme, Tropical Storm Dalila and Hurricane Erick.
Earlier this week, Hurricane Flossie became the second major hurricane of the season, an occurrence that doesn't typically happen until mid-August, and it was the earliest F-named storm on record.
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What to Know
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva told Newsweek that he doubts this year's storms will keep the pace they've set so far.
At six named storms in the first six weeks of the season, there is still a long way to go before the season challenges the record for the most active Eastern Pacific hurricane season.
"[1992] had the most storms ever on record for the Eastern Pacific hurricane season," DaSilva said. "There were 27 named storms that year and 16 hurricanes. Sixteen hurricanes is a tie with several years for the most hurricanes on record."
In addition, there were 10 major hurricanes in 1992. So far this year, there have been two. A major hurricane is a storm with Category 3 windspeeds of 111 mph or higher.
This year, meteorologists anticipate Mexico will field multiple hits from hurricanes or tropical storms in the Eastern Pacific. However, in 1992, Mexico was only hit three times.
"That was a very impressive season, but what was interesting about that season was Mexico ... only saw three hits that year," DaSilva told Newsweek.
DaSilva said the "big" storm of the 1992 season was Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4 storm that slammed into Kauai and became the strongest and deadliest storm to hit Hawaii since records began. It killed six people and caused $2 billion in damage, the Hawaii Free Press reported.
AccuWeather meteorologists are anticipating 14 to 18 tropical storms and seven to 10 hurricanes for the Eastern Pacific this season. An average season produces 15 tropical storms and four hurricanes, according to AccuWeather.
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a below-normal hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific with 12 to 18 named storms. Of those, five to 10 will likely become hurricanes, and two to five could develop into major hurricanes.
There's a high chance that the seventh named storm of the season, which will be named Gil, will form within the next seven days. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring a disturbance south of Southern Mexico with an 80 percent chance of tropical formation in the next week.
What People Are Saying
DaSilva previously told Newsweek: "We expected it to be an active season this year across the Eastern Pacific. We have already seen two major hurricanes. The average second major hurricane is August 15. So, we are a month and a half ahead of schedule."
NHC in a forecast about a disturbance in the Eastern Pacific: "An area of disturbed weather associated with a tropical wave is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms several hundred miles south-southwest of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Gradual development of this system is expected during the next few days, and a tropical depression is likely to form over the weekend or early next week while it moves generally west-northwestward well off the coast of Mexico."
What Happens Next
With four months still left in the hurricane season, there is plenty of time for more storms to form in the Eastern Pacific. Experts urge people in coastal areas to prepare before a storm forms so they can take action if the storm makes landfall nearby.
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