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

Three days before hurricane season officially begins, Agatha, the first named storm of the year, is sitting off the coast of Mexico.

Hurricane Agatha strengthened Sunday morning off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, where it was swirling with winds up to 85 mph about 200 miles west-southwest of Puerto Angel, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning is in place from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua as of 11 a.m. ET Sunday.

Agatha is moving toward the north-northwest at about 2 mph and is expected to continue shifting toward the northeast as Sunday progresses.

The hurricane 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.

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 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including three to six major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5, 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.

“Since Sandy, NOAA’s forecasting accuracy has continued to improve, allowing us to better predict the impacts of major hurricanes to lives and livelihoods.”