Eyes on the tropics: Potential for pre-season storm

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Global models continue to suggest a disturbance will form across Central America by Friday, and then gradually shift west to northwest across Central America through early next week.

Regardless of development, abundant moisture is expected and heavy rainfall is expected to fall across Panama and Costa Rica Thursday, then spreading to parts of Guatemala and Honduras.

Additionally, extreme rainfall is possible across the Pacific coasts of these countries, and also over southern Honduras and northeast Nicaragua. This will increase the potential for flash flooding and mud landslides, especially near valleys in mountainous terrain.

The Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1 and ends on Nov. 30, but in recent years, named storms have become common in May and even as early as April.

Forecasters at Colorado State University have predicted an above-average hurricane season for 2022. The U.S.’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is expected to release their forecast on May 24.

It’s important to remember that regardless of how “active” a hurricane season, it only takes one to make a very large impact.

The World Meteorological Organization maintains a list of hurricane names that are recycled every six years unless a name has been retired due to being so deadly and/or destructive. Below is the name list for the 2022 season:

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record—we ran through the entire alphabetical list of names (and then some)! This happens very rarely (it has only happened once before, in 2005), but seems likely to become more common. What happens when it does?

If needed, forecasters will use a list of supplemental storm names shown below.