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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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The eastern Pacific could soon become home to two developing tropical systems tracking across nearly the same stretch of ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), with forecasters monitoring disturbances south of Baja California that may organize into tropical cyclones over the coming days.
The potential back-to-back development comes as Tropical Storm Lowell continues churning north-northwest of Hawaii. Lowell recently prompted tropical storm warnings in parts of the state and has weakened from its hurricane status earlier this week. Its presence, coupled with the possibility of two new cyclones forming behind it, highlights what has been an active year across the Pacific basin.
Forecasters warned that the Pacific hurricane season could be more active than normal this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) seasonal outlook called for above-normal activity in the eastern and central Pacific, citing expectations that El Niño conditions would persist through hurricane season. El Niño typically increases tropical cyclone activity across the Pacific by creating a more favorable atmospheric environment for storm formation.
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Newsweek reached out to the NHC by email for comment.
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Potential Tropical Storms Forecast
One system, designated EP96, has already become increasingly organized several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. The NHC said environmental conditions appear favorable for further development, and a tropical depression is likely to form in the next day or two. Forecasters currently give the disturbance an 80 percent chance of development over 48 hours and a 90 percent chance over the next seven days. The system is moving west-northwest at 10-15 mph.
Meanwhile, a second area of low pressure is forecast to develop several hundred miles south of Baja California this weekend or early next week. While that system does not yet exist, forecasters say gradual development could occur once it forms, with a medium 40 percent chance of becoming a tropical depression within seven days. The disturbance is moving in the same direction as EP96.
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The unusual aspect of the forecast is that both systems are expected to emerge in roughly the same general region and follow similar west-northwest tracks away from Mexico and into the open Pacific. If both eventually organize, they could spend part of their lifecycles moving through adjacent stretches of ocean. It's also possible the two systems could get close enough to each other to interact—known as the Fujiwhara effect—that could lead to the storms merging.
For now, EP96 remains the more immediate concern for forecasters. Satellite imagery shows showers and thunderstorms becoming better organized around an elongated area of low pressure, a sign that the system may be consolidating toward a more defined circulation. If organization continues, it could become a tropical depression by late this week.
2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast
Meanwhile, the Atlantic basin has seen a below-average season after NOAA's outlook issued earlier this year called for a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Forecasters predicted eight to 14 named storms, including three to six hurricanes and one to three major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher.
NOAA said the primary reason for the expected reduction in activity is the anticipated development of El Niño, which typically increases wind shear across the Atlantic and makes it more difficult for tropical storms and hurricanes to form and strengthen.
So far this year, there have been five named tropical storms in the Atlantic basin. None reached hurricane status. As of Wednesday morning, there is no tropical storm activity expected in the Atlantic basin over the next seven days.
What Happens Next
In the Pacific Ocean, neither system is forecast to threaten land areas, but their evolution will be watched closely. Once they form, they could cause indirect impacts, such as dangerous waves or rip currents in Baja California.
The eastern Pacific is entering one of its climatologically busiest periods of the year, when ocean temperatures remain warm and atmospheric conditions often favor tropical development.
With Lowell still making headlines near Hawaii and two additional disturbances lining up behind it, the Pacific basin is offering another reminder that the 2026 hurricane season remains far from over. Forecasters will be watching to see whether both areas can capitalize on favorable conditions and become the latest named storms in what has already been a notably active season.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Skinner and Dave Siminoff.
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