By AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Jun. 28, 2021 9:27 AM EDT
As a couple areas of disturbed weather continue to be monitored in the Atlantic, including one close to the United States, waters over the eastern Pacific have spawned the first hurricane of the 2021 season for either basin -- Enrique.
Enrique was upgraded to a tropical storm and the fifth named system in the eastern Pacific basin early Friday morning. As of 9 p.m. MDT Sunday, Enrique was packing winds of 90 mph, or a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, and was moving toward the north at 8 mph.
The hurricane will continue to move in a general north to northwest motion this week, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller.
By the middle of the week, Enrique will track close to the southern tip of Baja California Sur, possibly making landfall as a tropical storm or tropical depression.
"The most significant impact from Enrique is expected to be the heavy rain that will continue to fall across southwestern Mexico through the beginning of the week from Guerrero to Jalisco," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said.
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Areas that have the greatest risk of localized flooding downpours and mudslides will extend from Acapulco to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Part of this area was hit with up to 15.75 inches (400 millimeters) of rain and gusty winds from Tropical Storm Dolores. Dolores formed on June 18 and dissipated after moving inland on June 20 near the Michoacán and Colima state border of Mexico.
Rainfall totals of 8-12 inches (200-300 millimeters) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches (510 millimeters) can occur with Enrique.
"Dangerous surf will also impact coastal areas of southwest Mexico," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller said.
Otherwise, a few gusts to the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 60 mph (100 km/h) can occur along the immediate coast, which is strong enough to break tree limbs and potentially trigger sporadic power outages.
Enrique is a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, primarily due to flooding in southwestern Mexico.
There is a chance that some moisture may be drawn far enough to the north to make it into part of the southwestern United States this week. However, if Enrique were to break up before approaching the tip of Baja California, Mexico, that potential would diminish.
AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting 14-18 named storms in the eastern Pacific this season with six to 10 expected to become hurricanes.
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