Hurricane season in the Pacific Ocean doesn't technically start for another five days, but a major tropical storm has already formed off of Mexico, USA Today reports. Tropical Storm Adrian is the earliest eastern Pacific tropical storm to form since reliable record-keeping began in 1966, with the previous record being Tropical Storm Alma, formed on May 14, 1990.
Adrian has winds of about 45 miles per hour; it takes winds of 74 miles per hour for a storm to officially be classified as a hurricane. Pacific tropical storms and hurricanes don't usually do more damage to the U.S. than flooding through the Southwest, although they can do significant damage to the coastal cities of Mexico.
"With water temperatures off western Central America above normal and relatively low wind shear, [Adrian's] conditions will be conducive for further strengthening," said AccuWeather meteorologist Steve Travis.
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Hurricane season technically begins in the Pacific on May 15. It starts in the Atlantic on June 1.
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