Earliest recorded tropical cyclone forms in eastern Pacific

MEXICO CITY – The earliest tropical cyclone on record formed Saturday in the eastern North Pacific, far off the coast of Mexico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Depression One-E had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph), and while it was not forecast to strengthen into a named tropical storm before weakening, “it cannot be ruled out.”

The storm was expected to fade to a remnant low by Sunday night.

The storm was centred about 730 miles (1,175 kilometres) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and posed no threat to land.

The Hurricane Center said it is the earliest formation of tropical cyclone in the eastern North Pacific since the satellite era began in 1966. The basin’s season normally starts in mid-May, while the Atlantic hurricane season kicks in on June 1.