Hurricane Adrian forms in the Eastern Pacific off the Mexican coast

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Hurricane Adrian became the first hurricane of the 2023 Eastern Pacific hurricane season off the coast of Mexico, but is no threat to land.

A​drian rapidly intensified from what still wasn’t yet officially a tropical depression Tuesday morning to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday morning as it was over 300 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

F​ortunately Adrian is no threat to land, moving west over the open waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Since tropical cyclones are referred to as hurricanes in the Western Hemisphere, A​drian also became the first hurricane of 2023.

The Atlantic Basin has had four storms so far, none of which strengthened to a hurricane.

T​his is a late start to the hurricane season for the Eastern Pacific, which by the calendar definition begins on May 15. The first named storm in that basin typically occurs around June 10 and the second storm follows by June 24, according to the National Hurricane Center.

O​nly one other year since 1970 has waited longer for the Eastern Pacific’s first storm of the season, according to Colorado State University tropical scientist Phil Klotzbach. That was in 2016, when “Agatha” didn’t arrive until July 2.

H​ere are some maps showing the current status of Adrian, the forecast path and water temperatures near the system.

S​econd Storm to Form?

It will generally head northwestward over the coming days. It’s too soon to tell whether it will eventually become a threat to parts of the Mexico coast.

B​ut it could produce locally heavy rain and flash flooding and at least send some high surf and rip currents to parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast later this week into the weekend.

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