Tropical Storm Lester (2022)

Tropical Storm Lester
Tropical Storm Lester near the coast of southern Mexico on September 16, 2022
Meteorological history
FormedSeptember 15, 2022
DissipatedSeptember 17, 2022
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds40 mph (65 km/h)
Lowest pressure1005 mbar (hPa); 29.68 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities5 total
DamageUnknown
Areas affectedSouthern Mexico
[1][2]

Part of the 2022 Pacific hurricane season

Tropical Storm Lester was a short-lived tropical cyclone that caused severe rainfall and flash flooding in southern Mexico in September 2022. The thirteenth named storm of the 2022 Pacific hurricane season, Lester developed from an area of disturbed weather that formed offshore the Pacific Coast of Mexico on September 13. The disturbance spawned an area of low pressure two days later, which quickly organized into a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC[a] on September 15. Moving slowly northwestward, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Lester the following morning. Despite being located over very warm sea surface temperatures and in a moist environment, Lester was unable to intensify further and remained a minimal tropical storm as it slowly approached the coast of Mexico, due to moderately strong wind shear. Lester made landfall near Punta Maldonado in extreme southwestern Guerrero as a tropical depression around 12:00 UTC on September 17. The cyclone quickly dissipated over the rough terrain of Mexico later that day.

Lester caused significant flooding in southern Mexico, with rainfall peaking at 14.31 in (363 mm) in Coyuca de Benítez in Guerrero. Flooding damaged over 700 homes in Guerrero, and several vehicles and roadways were trapped by flooding and debris in Oaxaca. A fisherman died in Guerrero due to large waves from Lester capsizing his boat off the coast of the town of La Bocana. An additional four deaths occurred in the state due to severe flooding. Heavy rainfall from Lester extended as far north as Colima and Nayarit, with over 70 families' homes experiencing damage in the former state.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference TCR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 4Deaths was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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