Tropical Storm Eric Strengthens in Eastern Pacific

Tropical Storm Eric is gaining strength in the Eastern Pacific, situated about 265 miles southeast of Puerto Angel, Mexico. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts that Eric could quickly strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

As of early Tuesday, the NHC reported maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with Eric, which formed early that day.

This marks the fifth storm of the East Pacific hurricane season and may be the first named storm to impact either the Atlantic or East Pacific Basin.

Rapid Intensification Expected Before Landfall

The NHC indicated that Eric is likely to intensify quickly before making landfall. In fact, tropical cyclones can see sustained wind increases of about 35 mph within just 24 hours. If Eric strengthens faster than currently anticipated, it could reach major hurricane status, typically classified as a Category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Eric is expected to approach Mexico’s southern coast by Wednesday night and may either move inland on Thursday or remain close to the coastline on that day.

The Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for the area stretching from Punta Maldonado to Puerto Angel. There’s also a hurricane watch from Punta Maldonado to Acapulco, which is east of Puerto Angel. Additionally, a tropical storm watch is in effect from east of Puerto Angel to Salinacruz.

Hurricane Hunter aircraft are scheduled to conduct three missions to monitor Eric by Thursday.

Potential Impacts of Eric

Forecasters have noted that Eric could bring heavy rainfall to Central America and southeastern Mexico this week, positioning it as possibly the first storm to make landfall within this year’s Eastern Pacific or Atlantic Ocean seasons.

According to the Fox Forecast Center, landfall in Mexico seems likely. The NHC has projected rain amounts between 8-16 inches close to the coast, with localized areas in Oaxaca and Guerrero potentially receiving up to 20 inches.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged residents to stay vigilant and adhere to current advisories as the storm approaches.

The NHC also warned that storm surges could lead to coastal flooding, with life-threatening swells and rifts from Eric being felt as early as Wednesday.

Widespread Effects of Eric

Interestingly, some predictive models suggest that the moisture from Eric could drift northward, possibly reaching parts of South Texas later this week.