Tropical Storm Amanda has formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, becoming the first named storm of the 2026 Pacific hurricane season, the National Hurricane Center announced on Wednesday.
The storm was located approximately 1,475 miles (2,375 kilometres) west-southwest of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, with its centre over open water, posing no immediate threat to land.
Amanda currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). Forecasters expect it to strengthen over the coming days before weakening by the weekend.
The Pacific hurricane season began on 15 May, while the Atlantic season started on Monday with no cyclone formation yet. The next name on the Pacific list is Boris.
NOAA predicts a calmer-than-normal Atlantic hurricane season this year, but above-normal activity in the eastern Pacific due to a strong El Niño pattern, which suppresses Atlantic storms and enhances Pacific conditions.
