Tropical Storm Dalila the Fourth Named Feature for the Eastern Pacific

Tropical Storm Dalila came to life just south of Mexico in the Eastern Pacific on Friday. The formation of Dalila is a continuation of the active tropical weather season that has already started across the Eastern Pacific. Conversely, all is quiet in the Atlantic basin. Read on for the latest tropical weather report.

Dalila is Born in the Eastern Pacific

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has kept busy over the last few weeks monitoring the busy Eastern Pacific. Dalila is forecast to slide over extreme southern Mexico, bringing torrential rain and gusty conditions.

The Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially kicked off on May 15. There have been four named storms since that time - Alvin, Barbara, Cosme, and Dalila. The historical average for the fourth storm to ignite in the Eastern Pacific is July 15, putting Dalila over a month ahead of schedule.

The NHC designated what became Dalila as Tropical Depression 4-E on Friday morning. It did not take long for the depression to evolve into a named tropical storm. As of Saturday, the Dalila was spinning about 175 miles from Manzanillo, Mexico. Dalila was packing sustained winds of 60 mph with maximum speeds of 70 mph recorded. The feature was moving to the northwest at 10 to 15 mph at this time.

The forecast models indicate that Dalila will skirt the western coastline of Mexico throughout the weekend. The system will then track to the west away from land and into the open waters of the Pacific.

The worst of the winds associated with Dalila will remain offshore. However, some gusts hitting speeds of 60 mph may impact the southern coast of parts of Mexico.

Heavy rain will be the most impactful feature of this weather maker. Widespread rainfall amounts of up to 4 inches are likely. Rain of this magnitude will be enough to raise the threat of flash flooding and mudslides. This threat will be the greatest in areas recently slammed with Hurricane Barbara's precipitation earlier in the month.

Forecasters are also keeping their eyes on another area of potential development in the Eastern Pacific. The latest models predict that the new area of concern will center farther to the east, expected to take a similar track as Dalila. The most likely time for development for the next system will be between June 17 and June 20.

What About the Atlantic

As the Eastern Pacific continues to churn out tropical weather features, it has been strangely quiet in the Atlantic basin. Large amounts of wind shear and repeated rounds of dust from the Sahara Desert are working together to mitigate the chances of tropical development in this part of the world's oceans.

Hurricane experts said that there are signals that tropical weather could come together later in June in or near the Bay of Campeche. Even in the absence of a named feature, parts of southeastern Mexico and Central America are forecast to see frequent rounds of tropical downpours between June 19 and June 21. The stream of moisture will increase the risk of mudslides and flooding.

None of these tropical events is expected to impact the U.S. directly. However, any potential development in the Atlantic could see tropical moisture to the north and into South Texas. We will continue to monitor this situation and update as needed.

Weather changes fast — help your community stay prepared. Share this story with friends, family, or your group chat.