Hurricane Agatha is predicted to turn into tropical storm Alex, showering South Florida with heavy rain within the next five days, according to ABC News.
Puerto Angel, Mexico, was hit by Agatha, a Category 2 hurricane, on Monday afternoon. Since then, the hurricane has weakened into a low-pressure system, according to CNN.
However, the National Hurricane Center states that the hurricane has a 70% chance of turning into tropical storm Alex within the next five days, reported the Orlando Sentinel.
- The storm will only be classified as a tropical storm or depression, and will be named Alex once it hits the 39-mph wind threshold, according to AccuWeather.
A potentially heavy storm: It’s too soon to determine what kind of weather Florida will see by the end of this week, depending on the track of the system.
- But the National Weather Service predicts that “South Florida and the Florida Keys have the best chance to pick up periods of heavy rain beginning Friday. Given the locally flooding rain that fell there last Sunday, the flash flood threat is highest in this portion of the state.”
Perfect storm conditions: AccuWeather states that the Pacific waters are warm enough for the development of a storm, with temperatures in the 80s. If a tropical storm enters a body of warm water, this will cause the storm to intensify before it hits Florida.
- As of the beginning of the week, there is a wind shear that would prevent the storm from hitting Florida, but the shear is said to dissipate by the end of the week, per AccuWeather. Experts state that even though a large wind shear can prevent a storm from moving, a small or medium wind shear can enhance a tropical storm in some cases.
Record-setting Agatha: The hurricane hit Mexico on Monday with wind speeds of up to 105 mph, according to CBS News.
- It is the strongest ever recorded storm to hit the country in the month of May, The Associated Press stated. Officials have not yet reported any deaths as a result of the hurricane.
- The National Hurricane Center warned that this area could experience more wind, up to 16 inches of rain and the threat of floods through Tuesday, via CBS.
- “Torrential rains and howling winds whipped palm trees and drove tourists and residents into shelters. Oaxaca state’s civil defense agency showed families hustling into a shelter in Pochutla and a rock and mud slide that blocked a highway,” The Associated Press reported.