Appearing right on cue, tropical storm Alvin churned up on May 15 about 1,000 kilometers off of Mexico’s Pacific coastline to mark the first day of the 2013 hurricane season. The storm quickly petered out over the next 48 hours, never gaining hurricane force as it slowly swirled northward a long distance from points between Acapulco and Manzanillo.
Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) anticipates relatively normal weather activity in the Pacific Ocean this year, predicting that six tropical storms and eight moderate to intense hurricanes will brew up in that quarter before the season ends on November 30.
The Atlantic hurricane season commences on June 1. SMN weather experts forecast an above average incidence of major phenomena on that side, with nine moderate to intense hurricanes and another nine tropical storms rolling across the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean over the next six months.
Names to be assigned to 2013 Pacific storms are Alvin, Barbara, Cosme, Dalila, Erick, Flossie, Gil, Henriette, Ivo, Juliette, Kiko, Lorena, Manuel, Narda, Octave, Priscilla, Raymond, Sonia, Tico, Velma, Wallis, Xina, York and Zelda. Those generated in the Atlantic will be called Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Néstor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.