Pacific Hurricane Tracker – Eastern & Central Pacific Tropical Weather

The Eastern and Central Pacific are among the world’s most important regions for tropical cyclone activity. Each year, tropical disturbances develop over the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, with some becoming tropical depressions, tropical storms and powerful hurricanes.

The Orbis Weather Pacific Hurricane Tracker provides a central location for monitoring tropical weather across the Eastern and Central Pacific, including developing disturbances, active tropical cyclones, satellite imagery, ocean conditions, waves and marine observations.

Whether the Pacific is highly active or completely quiet, this page provides an easy way to monitor changing conditions throughout hurricane season.

🌊 What Is the Eastern and Central Pacific Hurricane Basin?

The Pacific tropical cyclone region covered by this tracker stretches across a vast area of ocean from the coast of Mexico and Central America westward through the Central Pacific toward the International Date Line.

The Eastern Pacific includes waters immediately south and southwest of Mexico and Central America. This region can produce numerous tropical storms and hurricanes during an active season.

Farther west is the Central Pacific, which includes the waters surrounding Hawaii.

Tropical cyclones can form directly within the Central Pacific or move into the region after developing farther east.

Because these storms can travel thousands of miles during their lifetimes, monitoring both the Eastern and Central Pacific provides a much clearer picture of tropical activity across the region.

🌀 When Is Pacific Hurricane Season?

The Eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins on May 15, while the Central Pacific season begins on June 1.

Both seasons officially continue through November 30.

Tropical cyclones can occasionally occur outside the traditional season, however, so tropical weather is never completely limited to the calendar.

Activity typically increases during the warmer months as ocean temperatures rise and atmospheric conditions become more favorable for tropical cyclone formation.

Even when no storms are active, tropical waves and other disturbances can develop quickly enough that regular monitoring remains useful throughout hurricane season.

🛰️ How to Use the Orbis Weather Pacific Hurricane Tracker

The Orbis Weather Pacific Basin page combines several types of weather information to provide a broader view of conditions across the Eastern and Central Pacific.

Satellite imagery provides a large-scale look at clouds, thunderstorms and developing weather systems across the ocean.

When tropical cyclones are active, the storm tracker can help visitors follow their location, intensity and projected movement.

The page also provides access to weather conditions, sea temperatures, waves and swell, and NOAA buoy observations.

Instead of relying on a single map, these different tools allow visitors to examine both atmospheric and ocean conditions affecting the Pacific.

🛰️ Watching the Pacific With GOES-West Satellite Imagery

Satellite imagery is one of the most valuable tools for monitoring tropical weather over the Pacific Ocean.

Much of the tropical Pacific is far from land-based weather stations, making satellites especially important for observing developing thunderstorms and tropical cyclones.

The Orbis Weather Pacific tracker includes GOES-West satellite imagery, allowing visitors to watch cloud patterns and tropical systems evolve across the region.

Infrared imagery is particularly useful because it can monitor cloud-top temperatures both during the day and at night.

Large clusters of persistent thunderstorms can sometimes be an early indication that a tropical disturbance is becoming better organized.

Satellite appearance alone, however, cannot determine whether a tropical cyclone will form.

🟡 Understanding Pacific Tropical Weather Outlooks

The National Hurricane Center monitors the Eastern Pacific for areas where tropical cyclone development may occur.

Potential development areas may be assigned probabilities indicating the likelihood that a tropical cyclone will form during a specified period.

These percentages describe the probability of tropical cyclone formation.

They do not represent the probability that a hurricane will strike Mexico, Hawaii, California or another particular location.

A disturbance with a high probability of development may ultimately remain over open ocean.

Likewise, a disturbance with initially low development chances can sometimes become more organized if atmospheric conditions improve.

Tropical weather outlooks should therefore be monitored over time as conditions and forecasts change.

🌀 Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm and Hurricane

Pacific tropical cyclones are classified according to their maximum sustained winds.

A tropical depression has maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (62 km/h) or less.

When maximum sustained winds reach 39 mph (63 km/h), the cyclone becomes a tropical storm and normally receives a name.

At 74 mph (119 km/h), the system becomes a hurricane.

Hurricanes are classified from Category 1 through Category 5 using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Category 3, Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes are classified as major hurricanes.

However, hurricane category measures wind intensity and should never be considered a complete measurement of a storm’s danger.

Heavy rainfall, flooding, dangerous surf, coastal impacts and other hazards can occur far from the hurricane’s center.

📍 Understanding the Hurricane Forecast Cone

Forecast cones are commonly used to illustrate the predicted path of a tropical cyclone.

One of the most important things to understand is that the cone represents the probable track of the storm’s center.

It does not show the full size of the hurricane or the complete area where hazardous weather may occur.

Tropical cyclones can produce dangerous conditions hundreds of miles away from their centers.

Large waves, rip currents and swells can also travel tremendous distances across the Pacific and affect coastlines far from the actual storm.

People should therefore never assume that locations outside the forecast cone are automatically safe from impacts.

🌡️ Why Warm Pacific Water Matters

Tropical cyclones draw energy from warm ocean water.

When sufficiently warm water extends to greater depths, a developing tropical cyclone can have access to a substantial source of ocean heat.

But warm water alone does not create hurricanes.

Atmospheric moisture, wind patterns, instability and vertical wind shear all influence whether a tropical disturbance can organize.

Strong wind shear can disrupt a developing cyclone by separating thunderstorms from its circulation.

Dry air can also interfere with thunderstorm development.

When warm ocean water combines with a moist atmosphere and relatively low wind shear, conditions can become considerably more favorable for tropical cyclone development and intensification.

⚡ Rapid Intensification in the Eastern Pacific

Some Pacific hurricanes can strengthen extremely quickly.

Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained winds increase dramatically within a relatively short period.

Very warm ocean water, favorable atmospheric moisture and low vertical wind shear can sometimes create an environment capable of supporting this process.

This is particularly important for storms approaching Mexico or other populated coastlines because rapid strengthening can significantly change the potential impacts before landfall.

It is another reason coastal residents should monitor the complete forecast rather than focusing solely on a storm’s current category.

🇲🇽 Tropical Cyclones Near Mexico and Central America

Many Eastern Pacific tropical cyclones develop south or southwest of Mexico and Central America.

Some move westward into the open Pacific and never make landfall.

Others curve toward Mexico, where hurricanes and tropical storms can produce damaging winds, flooding rainfall, landslides, dangerous waves and coastal flooding.

Even storms remaining offshore can create significant marine hazards.

Heavy tropical rainfall can also affect mountainous terrain well away from the immediate coastline.

Anyone traveling or living along Mexico’s Pacific coast should pay close attention to official forecasts whenever a tropical cyclone approaches the region.

🌺 Hurricanes and Hawaii

The Central Pacific includes Hawaii, making tropical cyclone monitoring particularly important for the islands.

Many tropical cyclones affecting the Central Pacific originally form in the Eastern Pacific and travel westward.

Others can develop within the Central Pacific itself.

A hurricane does not have to make a direct landfall on Hawaii to produce significant effects.

Large ocean swells, dangerous surf, heavy rainfall and strong winds can extend well away from a tropical cyclone’s center.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center monitors tropical cyclones in its area of responsibility and issues official forecasts, watches and warnings when necessary.

🌊 Waves and Swell Can Travel Far From a Hurricane

One of the most overlooked Pacific hurricane hazards is ocean swell.

Powerful tropical cyclones generate enormous amounts of energy over the ocean.

That energy can produce waves that travel hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the storm.

As a result, beaches can experience dangerous surf and rip currents even when the hurricane itself is nowhere near the coastline.

The Orbis Weather Pacific page includes wave and swell information to provide additional context about marine conditions across the basin.

Boaters, surfers and coastal visitors should always consult official local marine forecasts before making safety decisions.

⚓ Why NOAA Buoys Are Important

Weather buoys provide direct observations from the ocean.

Depending on the station, these observations can include wind speed, wind direction, wave height, atmospheric pressure, water temperature and other marine conditions.

Satellite imagery shows the larger weather pattern from above, while buoy observations provide measurements from the ocean surface.

Together, these sources provide a much more complete picture of Pacific weather and marine conditions.

⚠️ Watches, Warnings and Official Forecasts

When a tropical cyclone threatens land, official meteorological agencies may issue tropical storm or hurricane watches and warnings.

A Hurricane Watch generally indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area.

A Hurricane Warning indicates that hurricane conditions are expected.

Because tropical cyclone forecasts can change, people in potentially affected areas should monitor official information frequently.

Orbis Weather provides weather information and interactive tracking tools for general information and situational awareness.

It should not replace official warnings, evacuation orders or emergency instructions.

🛰️ Trusted Pacific Weather Information

Orbis Weather uses and references established meteorological and oceanographic sources, including NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center and other official observing networks.

The Pacific Basin page brings satellite imagery, tropical cyclone tracking, ocean observations and marine information together in one accessible location.

Our goal is to make complex weather information easier to explore while clearly distinguishing observational information from official tropical cyclone forecasts.

🌎 Follow the Pacific Throughout Hurricane Season

Conditions across the Eastern and Central Pacific can change rapidly.

A quiet tropical outlook can eventually give way to new disturbances, while developing tropical systems can strengthen, weaken or change direction as atmospheric conditions evolve.

The Orbis Weather Pacific Hurricane Tracker provides a convenient place to monitor these changes throughout the season.

Check back regularly for updated Pacific hurricane tracking, GOES-West satellite imagery, Eastern Pacific tropical activity, Central Pacific storms, Hawaii tropical weather, sea temperatures, waves and NOAA buoy observations.

Important Weather Disclaimer

Information presented by Orbis Weather is provided for general weather information, education and situational awareness. Tropical cyclone forecasts and weather conditions can change rapidly.

During hazardous weather, always follow official watches, warnings, evacuation instructions and emergency information issued by the National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center, National Weather Service and appropriate local emergency-management authorities.