First hurricane of the 2022 season forms off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast

Hurricane Agatha was working up its wrath off the coast of Mexico — three days before hurricane season officially starts.

The first named storm of the year strengthened Sunday morning off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, where winds reached up to 85 mph about 200 miles west-southwest of Puerto Angel, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning was in place from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua as Agatha moved toward the north-northwest at about 2 mph. It’s expected to continue shifting toward the northeast.

The storm could make landfall near Puerto Escondido, in the southern state of Oaxaca, Monday, according to the NHC. Oaxaca may see as much as 20 inches of rain by Tuesday.

Hurricane Agatha

The 2022 hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, is expected to see above-average activity with 14 to 21 named storms, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher — including three to six major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or higher, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“As we reflect on another potentially busy hurricane season, past storms — such as Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the New York metro area ten years ago — remind us that the impact of one storm can be felt for years,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a statement last week.

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