There will be as many as 40 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans this hurricane season, of which up to seven could make landfall in Mexico, according to the National Water Commission (Conagua).

Conagua forecasts there will be 15-20 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic and 14-20 in the Pacific. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 in the former and May 15 to November 30 in the latter.

The Atlantic Ocean is predicted to get between eight and 11 tropical storms, four to five category 1 or 2 hurricanes and three to four category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes.

Conagua forecasts that the Pacific Ocean will see between seven and 10 tropical storms, three to five category 1 or 2 hurricanes and four to five category 3, 4 and 5 hurricanes.

“Above average activity is forecast on both coasts,” Conagua chief Blanca Jiménez Cisneros told a press conference.

“[There could be] between five and seven impacts on national territory this season so the public must be attentive and prepared,” she said.

The first tropical storm of the Pacific season formed off the southwest coast of Mexico on Sunday six days before the official start of the hurricane season.

Tropical Storm Andres was the earliest tropical storm to ever form during the satellite era in the eastern Pacific, surpassing Adrian in 2017, CNN reported.

Source: El Financiero (sp)