GREENSBORO, N.C. — Agatha made landfall just west of Puerto Angel, Mexico around 4 pm CDT with wind speeds of 90 knots (about 104 mph). The system rapidly weakened as it moved over mountainous southern Mexico. Although it has weakened, forecast computer models continue to show that Agatha's remnants will merge with a broad low near the Yucatan peninsula and have the potential for redevelopment in the Caribbean Sea or southern Gulf of Mexico.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has flagged Agatha in the Atlantic with a 10% chance of development over the next 48 hours and a 60% chance of development over the next 5 days. As of Tuesday morning, the NHC reports this cluster could merge as a tropical depression in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Although the NHC oversees tropical cyclones and disturbances across the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic, each of these ocean basins has different naming systems. The first name of the season in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is Agatha; however, the first name of the season in the Atlantic Ocean is Alex. So, if Agatha were to exit Mexico and re-develop into a tropical storm or hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, its new name would be Alex!
This switch-up wherein systems transition from one basin to another doesn't happen often, due to the mountainous terrain of Mexico. This terrain aids in weakening tropical systems making it difficult for the associated thunderstorms to re-organize, but it is possible.
The track of Agatha and its remnants will be monitored over the next several days in the event that it does strengthen. The official hurricane season begins June 1st.