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Tropical Storms Fay and Odalys Form in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Tropical Storm Fay has formed in the northern Atlantic while Tropical Storm Odalys is expected to reach hurricane strength in the Pacific.

Published September 20, 2026 at 7:30 AM EDT

The short answer

Tropical Storm Fay has formed in the northern Atlantic while Tropical Storm Odalys is expected to reach hurricane strength in the Pacific. Tropical Storm Fay formed in the northern Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, and is moving far from land. Simultaneously, Tropical Storm Odalys formed in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico and is expected to reach hurricane strength by Monday.

Tropical Storms Fay and Odalys Form in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

The Facts

Who
The National Hurricane Center reported on the storms.
What
The formation of two tropical storms, Fay in the Atlantic and Odalys in the Pacific.
When
Sunday, September 20, 2026
Where
The northern Atlantic Ocean near the Azores and the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico.
Why
Two tropical systems have developed simultaneously in different oceans, with one projected to become a hurricane, though neither currently threatens land.

Tropical Storm Fay formed in the northern Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, and is moving far from land. Simultaneously, Tropical Storm Odalys formed in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico and is expected to reach hurricane strength by Monday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that neither storm currently poses a threat to land. As of late Sunday, no coastal watches or warnings were in effect for either weather system.

Tropical Storm Fay was located approximately 405 miles southwest of the Azores, an autonomous Portuguese region in the Atlantic. Its maximum sustained winds were measured at 65 mph (100 kph) late Sunday, an increase from 45 mph (75 kph) recorded at 5 a.m. EDT. The storm was moving north-northeast at 5 mph (7 kph) and is expected to dissipate by the end of the week.

In the Pacific, Tropical Storm Odalys was located approximately 1,345 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. The system recorded maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph). The National Hurricane Center stated that the storm is becoming better organized.

The Azores, located about 800 miles off the coast of mainland Portugal, are currently seeing no coastal watches or warnings. The National Hurricane Center will continue to track both systems to provide updates on wind speed and trajectory. Forecasters will determine if Odalys has achieved hurricane status in the next day or so.

Timeline of what happened

Key dates and decisions, in the order they occurred.

  1. September 20, 2026

    Tropical storms form in Atlantic and Pacific

    Fay records 45 mph winds at 5 a.m. EDT; Odalys forms in the Pacific.

  2. September 21, 2026

    Odalys expected to reach hurricane strength

    Forecasters predict the Pacific storm will increase in intensity.

  3. September 25, 2026

    Fay expected to dissipate by end of week

    Meteorologists project the Atlantic storm will cease to be a tropical system.

Summaries are written by The Plain Record to state the facts of a story plainly and without political slant. Drafted with AI assistance and checked against the source record before publication. See how we report, or report a correction.

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Questions readers ask

What happened: Tropical Storms Fay and Odalys Form in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans?

The formation of two tropical storms, Fay in the Atlantic and Odalys in the Pacific.

Who is involved?

The National Hurricane Center reported on the storms.

When did this happen?

Sunday, September 20, 2026

Where did this happen?

The northern Atlantic Ocean near the Azores and the Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico.

Why does this matter?

Two tropical systems have developed simultaneously in different oceans, with one projected to become a hurricane, though neither currently threatens land.