Hurricane Simon was on track to approach a section of Mexico’s Pacific coastline on Friday, with predictions indicating a significant escalation in strength. U.S. weather experts issued a hurricane alert for regions along the central and southwest coast, anticipating the arrival of hurricane-level winds within the next 36 hours. By early Friday, Simon sustained winds of 120 km/h and was advancing northwest at a pace of seven km/h, as reported by the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The hurricane, classified as Category 1, was projected to veer northward by early Saturday and make its way towards the shore. Forecasts suggested that Simon would rapidly intensify into a Category 4 storm before making landfall. Category 4 hurricanes, according to the Saffir-Simpson scale, exhibit sustained winds ranging from 210 to 250 km/h. Presently, Simon was positioned approximately 355 kilometers south of Manzanillo and 525 kilometers south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes.
Potential tropical storm conditions were anticipated to arise along the coast later on Friday. The looming threat of Simon also included the likelihood of substantial rainfall, capable of triggering flooding and mudslides. U.S. experts warned of the possibility of 20 to 38 centimeters of rainfall in southwestern Mexico, with isolated regions experiencing up to 63 centimeters of precipitation.
In a separate weather development, Tropical Storm Rachel was set to impact Baja California, northwestern Mexico, and Southern California over the upcoming weekend. With wind speeds of 95 km/h, Rachel was expected to weaken, although it could bring heavy rainfall to the area. The Pacific region had seen heightened tropical storm activity this season, attributed to the influence of a potent El Niño phenomenon.
Hurricane Isaias, another weather system, was projected to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast later on Friday or Saturday. Notably, Isaias formed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season, a period typically affected by the dampening impact of the climate phenomenon on storm activity in the Atlantic region.