It’s only been a few days since Tropical Storm Dolores hit Mexico’s Pacific Coast, but meteorologists have detected a new tropical threat that is just starting to build southeast of where Dolores was first spotted. The East Pacific hurricane season this year has been close to normal in terms of the activity level so far. The system, which is starting to develop, could impact a few locations that Dolores inundated with heavy rainfall.
Meteorologists say the chances of the development have been increasing through the week. Some weather forecasters even suspect that a depression could form as early as the night of June 24 and reach tropical storm strength by the following night. Landfall is expected to be farther southwest of where Dolores hit. Atmospheric conditions are forecast to be favorable for a tropical storm or depression.
Since the waters were churned up quite a bit by Tropical Storm Dolores, they are not as warm as they were. Still, weather forecasters believe that the waters can be warm enough and wind shears could be light enough for the system to turn into a tropical storm and maybe even a hurricane before landfall.
When the wind shear is high, it can stop the system from strengthening under certain circumstances. But when the wind shear is light, like in this situation, conditions are usually favorable for the development of a tropical system. If the system strengthens into a tropical storm, it is expected to be named Enrique. However, even if it goes unnamed, the system may cause high winds and heavy rain on the Mexican coast, which could be especially challenging for communities that have just started to recover from Dolores’ aftermath.