The Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) issued its first outlook for the Pacific hurricane season on May 6, forecasting a near average season with 17 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes.
The 2016 Pacific hurricane season began officially on May 15. Names designated for this year’s storms are: Agatha, Blas, Celia, Darby, Estelle, Frank, Georgette, Howard, Ivette, Javier, Kay, Lester, Madeline, Newton, Orlene, Paine, Roslyn, Seymour, Tina, Virgil, Winifred, Xavier, Yolanda, Zeke.
The 2015 Pacific hurricane season was the second most active on record. It produced a record 31 tropical depressions, of which 26 became named storms, just shy of the 27 in 1992.