Eastern Pacific reaches 21 named storms for the first time since 2018 as Tropical Storm Vance strengthens
Tropical Storm Vance strengthened over the eastern Pacific on October 22, becoming the 21st named storm of the 2026 season and making 2026 the first eastern Pacific season since 2018 to reach that total. At 15:00 UTC, maximum sustained winds had increased to 95 km/h (60 mph), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast Vance to become a hurricane during the night of October 22 and possibly a major hurricane by the weekend.
