Tropical Storm Amanda forms in Eastern Pacific

The National Hurricane Center began issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Amanda on Wednesday after a depression in the eastern Pacific strengthened into the first named storm of the 2026 season in either the Atlantic or eastern Pacific basins. The storm was located well southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, according to the agency’s advisory and tropical weather outlook. (wesh.com) AccuWeather said Amanda could strengthen further and become a hurricane, while Atlantic conditions were expected to remain quiet in the near term. (nhc.noaa.gov) ### Where was Amanda when forecasters named it? The National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m. (nhc.noaa.gov) PDT Wednesday advisory that Amanda’s center was near 11.4 degrees north latitude and 129.3 degrees west longitude. The storm was moving west-northwest at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and a minimum central pressure of 1006 millibars. The agency’s eastern Pacific outlook said Amanda was positioned well southwest of Baja California. That placement kept the system over open water at the time of formation. ### Why are forecasters watching for strengthening? (nhc.noaa.gov) AccuWeather reported Wednesday that Amanda was the first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season and said it could soon become a hurricane. The outlet also said a separate area of interest had the potential to develop into a major hurricane and bring dangerous weather to Mexico. (nhc.noaa.gov) The National Hurricane Center said in its Wednesday evening outlook that it was also monitoring an area where low pressure was forecast to form offshore of Central America and southern Mexico later this week. (nhc.noaa.gov) That disturbance was listed separately from Amanda in the agency’s outlook for the basin. ### Is Amanda threatening land right now? The National Hurricane Center’s public-facing storm pages on Thursday morning showed marine warnings in effect for the eastern Pacific but did not indicate U.S. coastal watches or warnings tied to Amanda in the material reviewed. The storm’s track and intensity details remained subject to updated advisories. (accuweather.com) AccuWeather’s storm tracker on Thursday listed Amanda about 1,505 miles from the southern tip of Baja California and showed sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph. That tracker said the forecast path remained over the eastern Pacific. (nhc.noaa.gov) ### Why is the Atlantic still quiet? WESH reported Wednesday that no Atlantic tropical development was expected over the next seven days. AccuWeather said separately that tropical development in the Atlantic was expected to remain limited at the start of the season, though atmospheric conditions could shift next week. (nhc.noaa.gov) The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1, while the eastern Pacific season started on May 15, WESH reported in prior coverage on the 2026 storm-name list and season calendar. Amanda’s formation means the Pacific produced the first named storm before the Atlantic did this year. (accuweather.com) ### What should readers watch next? The National Hurricane Center said Thursday it was continuing advisories for Tropical Storm Amanda, and its eastern Pacific products page listed updated storm information and cone graphics. The agency’s next steps are routine advisory updates on Amanda and outlooks on the separate disturbance forecast to form off Central America and southern Mexico. (wesh.com) AccuWeather’s tracker page also showed forecast points extending into June 8. For readers following the storm, the clearest markers are the National Hurricane Center’s advisory times, Amanda’s wind speeds, and whether the separate eastern Pacific disturbance develops into another named system. (wesh.com) (accuweather.com) (nhc.noaa.gov)