Hurricane Center Tracking Possible New Cyclone Brewing in Pacific

A new hurricane could be growing in the Pacific in the wake of Hurricane Kristy reaching Category 5 in strength.
The potential new storm is an area of low pressure in the Western East Pacific, around 1,000 miles southwest of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula.
This system has a 20 percent of strengthening into a tropical cyclone—defined as a tropical depression or stronger—in the next 48 hours and a 60 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone in the coming seven days.
“Environmental conditions appear generally conducive for gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression could form within the next few days while it moves westward at about 15 mph,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a Tropical Weather Outlook. “This system is expected to move into the central Pacific basin by the end of the week.”
Tropical depressions have a defined low-pressure center, but their wind speeds are relatively low at 38 mph or less. Once wind speeds strengthen to between 39 and 73 mph, a storm is considered a tropical storm and is usually given a name. Once the system exceeds 74 mph, it is classified as a hurricane, which is further categorized into five categories based on wind speed.
“A tropical cyclone is just a catchall term that encompasses tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes,” Brian Tang, an associate professor of atmospheric science at New York’s University at Albany, told Newsweek.
If this system became a tropical storm, it would be named Tropical Storm Lane.
This potential new storm comes on the tail of Hurricane Kristy, which hit Category 5 strength on Thursday as it blustered westward across the Pacific. Kristy has since weakened significantly and is no longer a tropical cyclone.
“Very strong southwesterly vertical wind shear, dry air entrainment, and cool waters have taken a toll on Kristy,” the NHC said in its final discussion on Sunday morning. “Therefore, Kristy no longer meets the criteria of a tropical cyclone.”
The NHC added, “The post-tropical cyclone is also expected to continue to weaken and dissipate completely on Monday.”
While the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, the Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30 in the Eastern Pacific and from June 1 to November 30 in the Central Pacific.
A second storm may also be brewing in the Pacific, though this one has a lower probability of reaching tropical cyclone strength, with only a 20 percent chance over the next seven days.
The NHC said, “A weak area of low pressure has formed about 1000 miles southwest of the southwestern coast of Mexico. Some slow development is possible during the next 3 to 4 days while the low moves slowly to the west-northwest. By the end of the week, however, strong upper-level winds should end the chances of development.”
Additionally, another new storm may be building in the Caribbean, with a 40 percent chance of hitting tropical cyclone strength in the next seven days.
The NHC said: “A broad area of low pressure is likely to develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea in a few days. Gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form late this week or over the weekend while the system begins to drift northward or northeastward over the southwestern and central Caribbean Sea.”
If this storm becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Tropical Storm Patty.
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