Tropical Storm Georgette (2022)
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The 2022 Pacific hurricane season was a slightly above average
hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its ...
season in the eastern North Pacific basin (east of 140°W), with nineteen
named storm Tropical cyclones and subtropical cyclones are named by various warning centers to simplify communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts, watches and warnings. The names are intended to reduce confusion in the ...
s, ten hurricanes, and four major hurricanes. Two of the storms crossed into the basin from the Atlantic. In the central North Pacific basin (between 140°W and the
International Date Line The International Date Line (IDL) is the line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180.0° line of longitude and de ...
), no tropical cyclones formed (for the third consecutive season). The season officially began on May 15 in the eastern Pacific, and on June 1 in the central; both ended on November 30. These dates historically describe the period each year when most
tropical cyclogenesis Tropical cyclogenesis is the development and strengthening of a tropical cyclone in the atmosphere. The mechanisms through which tropics, tropical cyclogenesis occur are distinctly different from those through which temperate cyclogenesis occu ...
occurs in these regions of the Pacific and are adopted by convention. The first named storm of the season, Hurricane Agatha, formed on May 28, and made
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
two days later at Category 2 strength on the
Saffir–Simpson scale The Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS) is a tropical cyclone intensity scale that classifies hurricanes—which in the Western Hemisphere are tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical sto ...
, making it the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall during the month of May in the Eastern Pacific basin. In June, Hurricane Blas and Tropical Storm Celia caused heavy rainfall over southwestern Mexico despite remaining offshore. The season's first major hurricane, Hurricane Bonnie, moved offshore
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
as a tropical storm on July 2, becoming the first storm to survive the crossover from the Atlantic to the Pacific intact since
Hurricane Otto Hurricane Otto was a strong late-season tropical cyclone that impacted parts of Central America in November 2016. It was the first Atlantic hurricane since Cesar–Douglas in 1996 to survive the crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ...
in 2016. In September, tropical storms Javier,
Lester Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name. People Given name * Lester Bangs (1948–1982), American music critic * Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect * Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from ...
, and Madeline all caused flooding across the Pacific coast of Mexico, though none left severe damage.
Hurricane Kay The name Kay has been used for seven tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, one in the Australian region and for in the South-West Indian Ocean. In the Eastern Pacific: * Hurricane Kay (1980) – Category 4 hurricane that tracked along an ...
also formed that month, and struck the Baja California Peninsula before bringing gale-force winds to the west coast of the
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, becoming the first Pacific hurricane to do so since
Hurricane Nora The name Nora has been used for eighteen tropical cyclones and one extratropical cyclone worldwide: seven in the Eastern Pacific, ten in the Western Pacific, and once in the Australian Region and in Western Europe. In the Eastern Pacific: * Tropi ...
25 years earlier. In early October, Hurricane Orlene became a Category 4 hurricane before weakening and making landfall in
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
as a Category 1 hurricane, resulting in heavy rainfall and flooding. Also, Hurricane Julia became the second storm of the season to cross over from the Atlantic basin intact, and made landfall in
El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
soon thereafter. In late October, Hurricane Roslyn became the fourth major hurricane of the season, and went on to become the strongest landfalling Pacific hurricane since
Hurricane Patricia Hurricane Patricia was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of maximum sustained winds and the second-most intense on record worldwide in terms of pressure, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar (hPa; ), beh ...
in 2015. __TOC__


Seasonal forecasts

Forecasts include weekly and monthly changes in important factors that help determine the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a particular year. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
(NOAA), the average hurricane season in the Eastern and Central Pacific between 1991 and 2020 contained approximately 15 tropical storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes. The
NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploratio ...
generally classifies a season as above average, average, or below average based on the cumulative ACE index, but occasionally the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a hurricane season is also considered. Factors they expected to reduce activity were near- or below-average
sea surface temperature Sea surface temperature (or ocean surface temperature) is the ocean temperature, temperature of ocean water close to the surface. The exact meaning of ''surface'' varies in the literature and in practice. It is usually between and below the sea ...
s across the eastern Pacific and the
El Niño–Southern Oscillation El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean. Those variations have an irregular pattern but do have some semblance of cyc ...
remaining in the neutral phase, with the possibility of a
La Niña LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...
developing, corresponding to a low chance of an
El Niño EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things'' * El, fami ...
. On May 17, 2022, the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) issued its forecast for the season, predicting a total of 14–19 named storms, 6–9 hurricanes, and 2–4 major hurricanes to develop. On May 24, 2022, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with Weather forecasting, forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, Hydrography, charting the seas, ...
(NOAA) issued their outlook, calling for a below-normal season with 10–17 named storms, 4–8 hurricanes, 0–3 major hurricanes, and an
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used to compare overall activity of tropical cyclones, utilizing the available records of windspeeds at six-hour intervals to synthesize storm duration and strength into a single index value. The ACE ...
index of 45% to 100% of the median.


Seasonal summary

The season began with the formation and development of Hurricane Agatha on May 28, which rapidly intensified to a high-end Category 2 hurricane before making landfall along the coast of southwestern Mexico two days later. This marked the strongest Pacific hurricane to make landfall during the month of May since records began in 1949. Activity continued into June with the formation of Hurricane Blas, which caused four deaths while offshore of southwestern Mexico, and Tropical Storm Celia, which meandered across the basin for twelve days in late June. Four days after Celia dissipated, Tropical Storm Bonnie became the first to survive the crossover from the Atlantic to the Pacific since
Hurricane Otto Hurricane Otto was a strong late-season tropical cyclone that impacted parts of Central America in November 2016. It was the first Atlantic hurricane since Cesar–Douglas in 1996 to survive the crossover from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ...
in 2016. It also became the season's first major hurricane. The same day Bonnie dissipated, the depression that would become Hurricane Darby formed. The storm rapidly intensified into the strongest storm of the season late on July 11, attaining sustained winds of while moving out to sea. Several days later, Hurricane Estelle formed and paralleled the coast of Mexico. After a brief period without any active tropical cyclones, Hurricane Frank and Tropical Storm Georgette formed later in the month. They were followed by two systems during the first half of August, Hurricane Howard and Tropical Storm Ivette. September was the peak month for tropical cyclogenesis in 2022, with six systems developing. Tropical Storm Javier and then Hurricane Kay both formed off the coast of southwestern Mexico during the first week of the month and paralleled the coast offshore. Kay, the longer-lived and stronger of the two, became the first tropical cyclone to extend its effects northward into
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
since Nora in 1997. This pace of storm development continued with the mid-month formations of tropical storms
Lester Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name. People Given name * Lester Bangs (1948–1982), American music critic * Lester Oliver Bankhead (1912–1997), American architect * Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from ...
and Madeline, which caused flooding and a combined 8 fatalities in Mexico, after Lester made landfall there and Madeline passed closely offshore. Madeline's dissipation was closely followed by the formation of Tropical Storm Newton and then Hurricane Orlene to close out the month. A Category 4 hurricane, Orlene became the most intense storm of the season, attaining a minimum
pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...
of , before ultimately making landfall in southern
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
at Category 1 strength. October began with Tropical Storm Paine, a weak and short-lived system that remained away from land. Shortly thereafter, Hurricane Julia became the second storm of the season to cross over into the Pacific basin intact from the Atlantic. Not since
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
has more than one storm crossed between the Atlantic and Pacific basins intact during a single season. Later in the month, Hurricane Roslyn paralleled the coast of Western Mexico before making landfall in
Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...
with winds. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the eastern Pacific since
Hurricane Patricia Hurricane Patricia was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of maximum sustained winds and the second-most intense on record worldwide in terms of pressure, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar (hPa; ), beh ...
in 2015, which struck about south of where Roslyn did. No named storms formed in the month of November for the first time since
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
. The
accumulated cyclone energy Accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) is a metric used to compare overall activity of tropical cyclones, utilizing the available records of windspeeds at six-hour intervals to synthesize storm duration and strength into a single index value. The ACE ...
(ACE) index for the 2022 Pacific hurricane season, as calculated by
Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...
using data from the NHC, was 116.5 units, the highest since 2018. This level of activity was near the long-term (1991–2020) average.


Systems


Hurricane Agatha

Beginning on May 17,
convection Convection is single or Multiphase flow, multiphase fluid flow that occurs Spontaneous process, spontaneously through the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoy ...
began to increase with the
Intertropical Convergence Zone The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ , or ICZ), known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It encircles Earth near the t ...
stretching from the southwestern Caribbean Sea into the East Pacific basin. An area of low pressure soon developed and further organized into the season's first tropical depression to the south-southwest of the Mexico coastline early on May 28. Within hours, it strengthened into Tropical Storm Agatha. The newly-formed storm moved erratically during its early stages but eventually curved to the northeast. A very favorable environment allowed the system to begin a prolonged period of rapid intensification on May 29; it became the season's first hurricane during the early morning hours and reached its peak intensity at Category 2 strength with winds of by the afternoon. An increase in westerly
wind shear Wind shear (; also written windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical ...
and the onset of an
eyewall replacement cycle In meteorology, eyewall replacement cycles, also called concentric eyewall cycles, naturally occur in intense tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds greater than , or hurricane-force, and particularly in major hurricanes of Saffir–Simps ...
temporarily caused the hurricane to weaken. However, it regained some strength on approach to the coastline of Mexico, and it moved onshore near La Redonda with winds around 21:00 UTC on May 30. The system's center decayed over land and dissipated on June 1 as it became absorbed in developing Tropical Storm Alex to the northeast. Storm surge near where Agatha's core made landfall caused beach erosion and some additional damage. Torrential rainfall across
Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...
, peaking at in Santa María Tonameca, triggered landslides and flash flooding in many parts of the state. Strong winds caused additional damage to infrastructure. Agatha killed nine people, all in the
Sierra Madre del Sur The Sierra Madre del Sur is a mountain range in southern Mexico, extending from southern Michoacán east through Guerrero, to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca. Geography The Sierra Madre del Sur joins with the Eje Volcánico Transv ...
, and six others remained missing.


Hurricane Blas

An area of disturbed weather formed within the
monsoon trough The monsoon trough is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres. It is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific,Bin WangThe Asian Monsoon.Retrieved 2008-05-03. and is dep ...
a couple of hundred miles offshore the coast of southern Mexico on June 10. The system slowly organized while it moved west, developing into Tropical Storm Blas at 06:00 UTC on June 14. Weak steering currents directed the system to curve north-northeast before sending it back westward. Blas tracked within an environment of warm sea surface temperatures and low to moderate wind shear, allowing it to rapidly become a hurricane on June 15 and reach peak winds of that afternoon as it displayed a well-defined inner core structure. Increasing shear caused the hurricane to fluctuate in intensity through June 17, until cold waters led to a sustained weakening phase. At 18:00 UTC on June 19, Blas degenerated to a remnant low to the southwest of the Baja California peninsula. It continued west until dissipating on June 23. Moisture from Blas combined with a nearby tropical wave interacted with the mountainous terrain of southwestern Mexico, resulting in heavy rainfall along the coast despite the hurricane remaining well offshore. A peak accumulation of was measured in Laguna de Coyuca. This rain led to river flooding, flash flooding, and landslides, particularly across the states of
Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...
and
Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...
. A couple of dozen vehicles were stranded in flooded neighborhoods near Acapulco, where a sinkhole was reported on the Acapulco-Zihuatanejo Bypass. The bodies of two individuals were discovered near the city, but their cause of death is unknown, as is any possible relation with the hurricane. A few trees, fences, and utility poles were downed by gusty winds. Along the coast, large waves and rough surf resulted in minor beach erosion. Overall damage, though, was relatively minimal.


Tropical Storm Celia

A tropical wave departed Africa on June 5 and entered the East Pacific a week later, where it interacted with the active monsoon trough and the favorable phase of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). Persistent thunderstorms spawned a broad area of low pressure, and both the low and associated convection organized over subsequent days. On June 16, the disturbance developed into a tropical depression; the next day, it intensified into Tropical Storm Celia. The new system moved unusually in its initial stages as it interacted with a cyclonic gyre established nearby, conducting a counter-clockwise curve before moving more definitively toward the west-northwest. Celia's intensity fluctuated for many days as it lost and regained convection in a moderate wind shear environment. On June 24, the cyclone reached peak winds of in spite of a sprawling, disorganized core structure. Celia soon entered colder waters and drier air, causing it to degenerate to a remnant low on June 28 after an unusually long stint as an early season tropical cyclone. The low finally dissipated well west of the Baja California peninsula on June 30. While stalled off the coast of Central America, Celia interacted with a nearby low-pressure system which brought heavy rainfall to western Guatemala, affecting over 28,000 people. One death has been attributed to Celia. It occurred in Oaxaca, where a man drowned.


Hurricane Bonnie

At around 15:00 UTC on July 2, Tropical Storm Bonnie emerged into the Eastern Pacific from the Atlantic basin after crossing
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
. Bonnie steadily reorganized as it moved westward away from the coast. Satellite images from later on July 2, revealed the storm to have a deep convective curved band with cloud tops enveloping its west side. This strengthening trend continued, and by the end of the next day, the primary band had become wrapped completely around the center and an inner core was developing. At 03:00 UTC on July 4, Bonnie became a hurricane while located about south of
Salina Cruz Salina Cruz is a major seaport on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the List of states of Mexico, Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is the state's fourth-largest city and is the municipal seat of the Municipalities of Oaxaca, municipality of the sa ...
, Oaxaca, and attained Category 2 strength later that same day. By early on July 5, Bonnie's inner core structure had become well-developed with a eye. As a result, the hurricane was able to reach Category 3 strength by 15:00 UTC that day. Beginning several hours afterward and continuing into July 6, Bonnie's cloud pattern deteriorated and the central convection became less organized due to moderate north-northeasterly shear, causing it to weaken to Category 2 strength. The system maintained wind speeds of around for much of that day as it moved west-northwestward away from the Mexican coast, before weakening to Category 1 strength with winds of on July 7. Bonnie's intensity continued to decrease the following day as it moved into cooler waters with sea surface temperatures of , where it weakened to a tropical storm about west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Then, on July 9, Bonnie degenerated into a post-tropical low as all deep convection within ceased.


Hurricane Darby

A tropical wave emerged off Africa on June 26–27 and entered the East Pacific by July 6. The disturbance became gradually better organized as it moved west to west-northwest away from the Mexico coastline, becoming a tropical depression early on July 9 and intensifying into Tropical Storm Darby later that day. Dry air briefly interrupted the storm's intensification, but Darby quickly rebounded and rapidly intensified into a hurricane on July 11. In a 24-hour period ending at 00:00 UTC on July 12, the cyclone strengthened from a hurricane to a Category 4 cyclone, its peak intensity. The storm displayed characteristics of an annular hurricane and was exceptionally small, with hurricane-force winds only extending about from the center. The system fluctuated in intensity until it encountered a more hostile environment in the Central Pacific basin. The combination of strong wind shear and colder waters caused Darby to dissipate into a trough on July 16 while located southwest of Hawaii's Big Island. Darby brought 1–3 in of rain and 8–12 ft waves to the big island of Hawaii. These waves caused coastal flooding, which damaged several buildings and forced road closures. However, there were no reports of significant damages from the storm.


Hurricane Estelle

On July 7, the NHC began monitoring the southeastern Pacific south of the coast of Central America, where a low pressure area was expected to form within a few days. The anticipated disturbance formed on July 11, far south of the coasts of Guatemala and El Salvador, producing some disorganized showers. By July 15, the disturbance had become sufficiently organized to be classified as a tropical depression by the NHC. By 03:00 UTC on July 16, the depression had strengthened, with a well defined low-level structure and a tight band of persistent deep convection near the center, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Estelle. Then, after being hindered by northeasterly shear later that same day, intense convection was able to wrapped completely around the center and Estelle rapidly intensified into a hurricane by 03:00 UTC on July 17. Twelve hours later, the sustained winds near the system's center were at . It became weaker, however, as the day went on, apparently due to the inflow of dry air into its core and the effects of wind shear, and its winds fell to by day's end. The gradual weakening continued, and at 09:00 UTC on July 19, Estelle was downgraded to a tropical storm when its center was located just north of
Clarion Island Clarion Island (), formerly Santa Rosa, is the second largest, westernmost and most remote of Mexico, Mexico's Revillagigedo Islands. The island is located west of Socorro Island and just under from the Mexican mainland. It has an area of an ...
. Estelle's upper-level cloud shield became more symmetric later that day, due to reduced wind shear and increased convection that had wrapped around the storm's northern region. By 15:00 UTC on July 21, however, the storm had weakened to a tropical depression as it moved west-northwestward over the open ocean. Later that day the system became a remnant low. Though Estelle remained well off shore, heavy rains were reported in coastal areas of
Baja California Sur Baja California Sur, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur, is a state in Mexico. It is the 31st and last state to be admitted, in 1974. It is also the second least populated Mexican state and the ninth-largest state by ...
,
Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
,
Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...
and
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
, causing localized flooding and landslides.


Hurricane Frank

On July 21, the NHC began forecasting that an area of low pressure would develop off the southern coasts of El Salvador and Guatemala within a few days. An area of low pressure, associated with a tropical wave, developed two days later, producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. At 09:00 UTC on July 26, after deep convection developed at the center of the disturbance and become better organized, it was designated as a tropical depression. Six hours later, the system strengthened into Tropical Storm Frank while located about south-southeast of Manzanillo, Colima. Convection near the storm's center struggled to organize due to northeasterly wind shear as the storm moved westward. The shear persisted through early on July 28. Once the shear diminished sufficiently, the storm was able to strengthen, with deep convection becoming more symmetric around the center and banding features becoming well established by late the next day. Frank consequently intensified into a hurricane by 03:00 UTC on July 30. The system moved to the northwest during the day and maintained sustained winds of for several hours, before encountering decreasing sea surface temperatures by day's end. It then began to weaken as a result, and fell to tropical storm strength early on August 1. Later, it ceased producing organized deep convection and degenerated into a post-tropical cyclone during the following day.


Tropical Storm Georgette

On July 25, the NHC began monitoring an area of low pressure located southwest of the coast of southwestern Mexico for possible tropical development. The disturbance continued to become better organized and was designated as a tropical depression at 09:00 UTC on July 27. Six hours later, the depression strengthened into a compact Tropical Storm Georgette. The system remained relatively unchanged in strength during the next couple of days, though by early on July 29, its cloud pattern had become more symmetric with a well-developed rain band in the north part of the storm, and its sustained winds reached . Then, moving slowly westward, the storm waned over the next couple days, due in part to strong easterly shear generated by the outflow from the circulation of Hurricane Frank, and weakened to a tropical depression on the afternoon of July 31. Further weakening occurred on as the depression made a northeastward turn, steered by Frank. Then, during the afternoon of August 3, Georgette degenerated into a remnant low over the open ocean.


Hurricane Howard

On August 2, the NHC began monitoring a tropical wave producing widespread showers and thunderstorms over Central America and the adjacent waters in anticipation that an area of low pressure would form once it moved over the eastern Pacific. The anticipated low developed two days later off the coasts of Guatemala and southern Mexico. By August 6, the disturbance had become sufficiently organized to be classified as a tropical depression by the NHC. Beset by dry air imported to the depression's center by moderate wind shear, the depression was unable to quickly intensify. On the afternoon of August 7, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Howard as convection began to build over the northern semicircle of the system, though the low-level circulation remained partially exposed to the south due to continuing wind shear. The storm continued to organize into the following day, and became a Category 1 hurricane at 21:00 UTC on August 8, as an eye surrounded by deepening convective banding formed. On August 9, Howard's sustained winds reached as it moved west-northwestward, before weakening to a tropical storm at 03:00 UTC on August 10. The remaining deep convection near Howard's center ceased by the middle of that same day, and the storm later degenerated into a post-tropical low. Sustained tropical storm-force winds of , with higher gusts, were reported on
Socorro Island Socorro Island () is a volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is , with an area of . It is the largest of the four islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. The last e ...
around 00:00 UTC on August 8, as Howard passed nearby. That same day, the port of Mazatlán was closed to smaller vessels due to large waves. No coastal watches or warnings were issued for the storm.


Tropical Storm Ivette

On August 7, the NHC began forecasting that an area of low pressure with a potential for tropical cyclogenesis would develop within a few days off the southwestern coast of Mexico. The low developed late the next day, producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. It gradually become better defined, and on the afternoon of August 13, was classified as a tropical depression. It tracked over warm ocean waters, but there was little improvement in its structure due to moderate to strong east-northeasterly shear, until an unexpected burst of convection during the afternoon of August 15 resulted in the intensification of the depression into Tropical Storm Ivette. But within a few hours however, that burst was shearing away to the west and Ivette soon weakened back to a tropical depression. The system then degenerated into a remnant low on August 16.


Tropical Storm Javier

On August 29, the NHC noted that an area of disturbed weather had formed a few hundred miles south of
Acapulco, Mexico Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicircular bay, Acapulco has been a port since the ear ...
. The low gradually organized, developing a low-level circulation on August 31. By 18:00 UTC on September 1, it had gained enough organization to be classified as a tropical depression, while situated about east-southeast of
Socorro Island Socorro Island () is a volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is , with an area of . It is the largest of the four islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. The last e ...
. Then, fueled by increasing deep convection over the depression's western region and near its center, the system strengthened into Tropical Storm Javier early the next day, though its circulation remained somewhat elongated. Despite that, Javier intensified some, attaining sustained winds of on September 3. Later that same day however, the storm crossed over cooler waters and began to weaken. Javier became a post-tropical cyclone on September 4, while moving out to sea.
Rainband A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands in tropical cyclones can be either stratiform or convective and are curved in shape. They consist of showers and th ...
s of Javier brought heavy rain and wind gusts to the southern Baja California peninsula as it passed offshore. A total of 207 people were affected. 50 homes and a health center were damaged. Damages totaled to Mex$117 million (US$5.81 million).


Hurricane Kay

On August 30, the NHC noted that an area of disturbed weather had formed a few hundred miles south of Acapulco, Guerrero. This disturbance became organized as a tropical depression on September 4, and strengthened into Tropical Storm Kay later that same day. The storm continued to intensify, and on the morning of September 5, became a Category 1 hurricane. On the following day, the eye of the hurricane passed over
Socorro Island Socorro Island () is a volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands, a Mexican possession lying off the country's western coast. The size is , with an area of . It is the largest of the four islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago. The last e ...
with sustained winds of . Then, while moving north-northwestward early on September 7, Kay intensified into a Category 2 hurricane. This intensification proved short-lived however, as the cloud tops surrounding Kay's eye warmed and its overall cloud pattern became less organized and somewhat elongated later that same day, resulting in the hurricane weakening to Category 1 strength. Kay made landfall along the central Baja California peninsula coast with winds on September 8, then continuing to weaken as it moved back over the ocean. The storm became a post-tropical cyclone about southwest of
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, overnight while slowly curving further offshore. Altogether, Kay was directly responsible for at least 4 deaths: 3 in Guerrero and 1 in California. Additionally, there were also 2 indirect deaths in Baja California Sur. As the system paralleled the coast of southwestern Mexico its rainbands drenched coastal states from Oaxaca north to Nayarit with up to of rain. Road and agricultural damage in Baja California Sur exceeded 72 million pesos (US$3.6 million). Kay's outer bands also hit
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
and southwest
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
, bringing wind gusts of near to some areas, primarily in
San Diego County, California San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county (United States), county in the southwest corner of the U.S. state of California, north to its Mexico-United States border, border with Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Cen ...
. Rainfall totals varied across the region, with Mt. Laguna, in San Diego County, recording the highest amount at . Flash flooding closed numerous roads in both states; in
Imperial County, California Imperial County is a county located on the southeast border of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 179,702, ranking as the least populous county in Southern California. The county seat and largest city is ...
, falling boulders impeded traffic along a stretch of I-8. The rainfall was beneficial to crews in
Riverside County, California Riverside County is a County (United States), county located in the Southern California, southern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most ...
, battling the Fairview Fire, as it mitigated some of the threat posed by the high winds and dry conditions.


Tropical Storm Lester

A trough of low pressure producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms extending from the Gulf of Tehuantepec westward to near the southern coast of Mexico formed on September 11. The low remained disorganized near the southern coast of Mexico for the next few days before showing initial signs of organization early on September 15. By 21:00 UTC that same day, the circulation around the center of the low had become better defined and a curved band of convection had formed over the western and southwestern areas of the circulation. In light of these developments the system was designated Tropical Depression Thirteen-E. Surface wind speeds in portions of the circulation increased overnight, and therefore the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Lester at 09:00 UTC on September 16, even though it still had a sheared appearance. The storm became somewhat better organized late that day, but this improvement proved fleeting, due in part to its close proximity to the coast. Lester weakened to a tropical depression as it made landfall east of Acapulco on the afternoon of September 17, and then rapidly dissipated inland. As the storm approached, ports in Guerrero were closed due to high waves of in some areas. Also, nearly 600 emergency shelters were opened in preparation for evacuations due to imminent threat of rivers and streams overflowing. Lester caused damage throughout much of Guerrero as its heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides. One person in Marquelia Municipality died when swept away by water currents. The most severe damage occurred in Coyuca de Benítez, where over 700 houses were flooded. Additionally, towns in
Acatepec Acatepec is a city and seat of the Acatepec (municipality), municipality of Acatepec, in the state of Guerrero, southern Mexico.Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. Principales resultados por localidad 2005 (ITER). Retrieved on Dec ...
, in the state's mountain region, were left isolated due a washed-out roadway.


Tropical Storm Madeline

On September 12, the NHC began monitoring for potential development a small area of low pressure located off the coast of southwestern Mexico producing limited showers and thunderstorms. After several days, the disturbance became sufficiently organized on September 17, to be classified as Tropical Storm Madeline. After this, however, the storm strengthened very little though much of the next day due to deep-layer easterly shear. When it diminished on September 18, Madeline's low-level center became embedded underneath the northeastern portion of an area of deep convection with cloud tops as cold as . As a result, the storm was able to attain maximum sustained winds of on September 19, when located about south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Later that same day, Madeline began to weaken, becoming first a tropical depression and then a remnant low on September 20. Two deaths were attributed to Madeline as it moved along the coast of southwest Mexico, with one person remaining missing. Several coastal states were hit by heavy rains, strong winds and rough surf from the storm. Localized flooding was also reported from the storm. Despite this, there were no reports of significant damage.


Tropical Storm Newton

A small area of low pressure formed near the coast of southwestern Mexico on September 20. Rain and thunderstorm activity within the disturbance quickly became better organized, resulting in the formation of Tropical Depression Fifteen-E at 21:00 UTC on September 21, and then of Tropical Storm Newton less than four hours later. As the storm moved west-northwestward on September 22, a tiny eye-like feature and new deep convection formed in the core, enabling it to generate sustained winds of . Later that day however, the convection at the storm's center collapsed suddenly, and although it briefly recovered, Newton began to weaken again the next morning as it passed near Socorro Island. It became a tropical depression on September 24, then degenerated into a remnant low one day later. For several days afterward, through September 29, the NHC continued monitoring Newton's remnants for possible regeneration, and its associated shower activity briefly become slightly better organized on September 28, before being stymied by increasingly unfavorable conditions.


Hurricane Orlene

On September 26, the NHC noted that a low pressure area had formed south of the southwestern Mexico coast within an environment conducive for gradual tropical development. Shower and thunderstorm activity associated with this low increased the following day, and it steadily gained organization on September 28; the system developed a well-defined center late that day, becoming a tropical depression. Further development occurred overnight and the system intensified into Tropical Storm Orlene at 09:00 UTC on September 29, while located about south of Manzanillo, Colima. The next day, as the storm moved northward along the edge of a ridge over central Mexico, it generated a few bursts of deep convection and developed a small inner core with a curved band to the south. Orlene intensified into a Category 1 hurricane at 15:00 UTC on October 1, and to Category 2 strength about eight hours later. Orlene continued to rapidly intensify until it peaked with Category 4 strength at 09:00 UTC on October 2, its maximum sustained winds having increased from to in 24 hours. Wind shear from the southwest began to adversely affect the system soon thereafter, weakening it to a Category 3 hurricane six hours later, and then to Category 2 that night as it passed over the
Islas Marías The Islas Marías ("Mary Islands") make up an archipelago in Mexico, consisting of four islands. They are located in the Pacific Ocean, some off the coast of the state of Nayarit and about southeast of the tip of Baja California. They are part ...
. Later, at 14:45 UTC on October 3, Orlene made landfall in
Escuinapa Municipality Municipality of Escuinapa is a municipality in the Mexican state of Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders th ...
,
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
, as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of . The system rapidly weakened inland, becoming a tropical depression by 21:00 UTC that same day, and then dissipating over the Sierra Madre mountains several hours after that. Orlene brought heavy rain to several states in Western Mexico, which resulted in widespread flooding and several mudslides in Sinaloa and Nayarit, but there were no casualties reported as the storm moved through. Damage in
San Blas, Nayarit San Blas is both a municipality and municipal seat located on the Pacific coast of Mexico in Nayarit. City San Blas is a port and popular tourist destination, located about north of Puerto Vallarta, and west of the state capital Tepic, and thr ...
was over 12 million pesos (US$600,000).


Tropical Storm Paine

On September 30, the NHC began monitoring a newly formed area of disturbed weather some south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Shower and thunderstorm activity within the disturbance increased and began showing signs of becoming organized on October 1, and satellite imagery the following day indicated that its surface circulation had become better defined. These trends continued, resulting in the formation of Tropical Storm Paine on October 3. There was an increase in banding around the western and southern portions of the storm's circulation into the following day, and it strengthened to an intensity of . This was fleeting however, and by the time the storm passed near Clarion Island early on October 5, it was devoid of deep convection. Later that same day, Paine degenerated into a remnant low.


Tropical Storm Julia

At 21:00 UTC on October 9, Tropical Storm Julia left the Atlantic basin and was designated as an East Pacific system about west-northwest of Managua, Nicaragua, and its center emerged off shore a few hours later. The system moved to the west and then to the west-northwest parallel to and very near the coasts of Nicaragua and El Salvador with maximum sustained winds of . It maintained a band of deep convection over the southern and eastern portions of its circulation, the areas not still interacting with the mountainous terrain inland. At about 12:00 UTC on October 10, the center of the storm crossed the coast of El Salvador, about west of San Salvador, and then weakened to a tropical depression, with the whole of its circulation becoming stretched. Later that same day, Julia degenerated into an open trough overland. While an Atlantic hurricane and then tropical storm, Julia's heavy rains caused widespread life-threatening flash floods and deadly mudslides throughout Central America; several storm related fatalities were reported across the region. Torrential rain continued to fall in northwestern Central America as Julia moved inland from the Pacific.


Hurricane Roslyn

On October 16, the NHC began monitoring an area of disturbed weather south of the southern coast of Mexico. Thunderstorm activity increased and became better organized within the disturbance over the next few days, and the low's circulation become increasingly better defined as well. This trend continued, and early on October 20, it developed into Tropical Depression Nineteen-E. Soon thereafter, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Roslyn. Roslyn became a hurricane at 03:00 UTC, on October 22, and, within 12 hours rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of . Roslyn quickly lost intensity after hitting Mexico. The rains and winds associated with Roslyn left four people dead in the state of
Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...
. Damages statewide were stood at MX$991 million (US$56.7 million).


Storm names

The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Pacific Ocean east of 140°W during 2022. This is the same list used in the 2016 season, as no names were
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
following that season. There were no names retired following the 2022 season, so the same list will be used again for the 2028 season. For storms that form in the North Pacific from 140°W to the
International Date Line The International Date Line (IDL) is the line extending between the South and North Poles that is the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180.0° line of longitude and de ...
, the names come from a series of four rotating lists. Names are used one after the other without regard to year, and when the bottom of one list is reached, the next named storm receives the name at the top of the next list. No storms formed within the area in 2022. Named storms in the table above that crossed into the area during the season are noted (*).


Season effects

This is a table of all of the storms that formed in the 2022 Pacific hurricane season. It includes their name, duration (within the basin), peak classification and intensities, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 2022 USD.


See also

* Weather of 2022 *
Tropical cyclones in 2022 During 2022, tropical cyclones formed in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. Tropical cyclones were named by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of . During the year, 133 syste ...
*
Pacific hurricane A Pacific hurricane is a tropical cyclone that develops within the northeastern and central Pacific Ocean to the east of 180°W, north of the equator. For tropical cyclone warning purposes, the northern Pacific is divided into three regions: t ...
* List of Pacific hurricane records *
2022 Atlantic hurricane season The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season was a destructive and deadly Atlantic hurricane season. Despite having an average number of named storms and below average amount of major hurricanes, it became the fourth-costliest Atlantic hurricane season ...
*
2022 Pacific typhoon season The 2022 Pacific typhoon season was the third consecutive season to have below average tropical cyclone activity, with twenty-five named storms forming. Of the tropical storms, ten became typhoons, and three would intensify into super typhoons. ...
*
2022 North Indian Ocean cyclone season The 2022 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It was an above-average season in terms of depressions and average in terms of deep depressions, but slightly below average in terms of cy ...
* South-West Indian Ocean cyclone seasons: 2021–22, 2022–23 * Australian region cyclone seasons: 2021–22, 2022–23 * South Pacific cyclone seasons: 2021–22, 2022–23


Notes


References


External links


National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center
(website)
Servicio Meteorológico Nacional
(website, in Spanish)

(website) {{Tropical cyclone season, 2022 *
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
2022 Epac