The2025 Atlantic hurricane seasonhas gotten a little more real: TheNational Hurricane Centeris starting to issue tropical weather outlooks for developing systems on a regular basis. The outlook issued at 8 a.m. ET on May 15 "marks the first day of routine issuance of the Atlantic basin Tropical Weather Outlook in 2025," the outlook says. "This product describes significant areas of disturbed weather and their potential for tropical cyclone formation during the next seven days." The outlook says no tropical cyclone formation is expected in the next week. The official start to the six-month season is June 1, althoughstorms do occasionally spin up in May. May 15 is also the start of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. Storms and hurricanes in the eastern Pacific generally have little impact on the United States, as most of them usually either affect Mexico or head out to sea. Still, both starts are reminders that hurricanes are coming,and the time to be prepared for these storms is now. On hiatus since November 30, 2024, theNational Hurricane Centeronce again is issuing updates on the state of tropical weather in both the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins. The outlooks discuss areas of disturbed weather and their potential for development for the next seven days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They are issued routinely from May 15 until the end of the hurricane season (November 30). By far, most Atlantic tropical cyclones form during the six-month June-November season, with the height of the season usually from mid-August to mid-October. However, since accurate hurricane records began in 1851, 32 named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin in May, according toColorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach. And many of those storms have formed recently: "We did have a flurry of May storms from 2007-2021, with 11 named storms forming during May during that 15-year period," he told USA TODAY. However, over the past three years, "we haven't had any May storm formations," he said. No storms are currently spinning in either basin, though forecasters fromAccuWeathercontinue to warn of potential tropical development near Central America in the May 17-24 timeframe. Plans to start theAtlantic hurricane season earlierwere scrapped a few years ago. The eastern Pacific hurricane season officially begins May 15. Mexico regularly gets hit with hurricanes and tropical storms on its west coast. Eastern Pacific hurricanes seldom hit the U.S. West Coast because they need two things to stay energized: warm water and favorable winds. The California coast typically benefits from cooler water that flows southward along the coast and winds that tend to either shear the tops off hurricanes or push them westward away from the coast. Remnants of eastern Pacific tropical storms and hurricanes that hit Mexico sometimes bring rain and flooding to the U.S. Southwest. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NHC brings back regular tropical weather outlooks
