Hurricane Trudy lashes Mexico's Pacific coast with heavy rain, then weakens to Category 1
After peaking as a Category 3 storm, Trudy brushed Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco with up to 30cm of rain. All coastal warnings have now been lifted.
At a glance
- Trudy formed as a tropical storm on October 13 from Tropical Depression Twenty-One-E.
- It peaked as a Category 3 major hurricane before brushing Mexico's west coast over the weekend of October 17–18.
- By Sunday night it had weakened to Category 1 with 80 mph winds, and all Mexican hurricane watches and warnings had expired.
- Mexico's weather service expects heavy rain and dangerous surf along the southern and central-western Pacific coast.
- Trudy is the 19th named system of the 2026 eastern Pacific season and follows Hurricane Simon.
Update, October 19: Trudy weakens after soaking the coast
Hurricane Trudy brought heavy rain and strong winds to Mexico's western Pacific coast on Sunday, October 18, hitting states still recovering from Hurricane Simon a week earlier. On Saturday, Trudy was about 305 km south-southeast of Manzanillo with 150 km/h winds, and a hurricane warning covered the coast from Manzanillo in Colima to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco.
By Sunday night, the US National Hurricane Center said Trudy had weakened to a Category 1 storm with 80 mph (130 km/h) winds, about 130 miles west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and moving northwest at 7 mph. All hurricane watches and warnings for Mexico had expired. Rapid weakening is expected, with Trudy passing south of the Baja California peninsula and becoming post-tropical by Tuesday.
Forecasters warned of 10–20cm of rain, with isolated totals near 30cm, in Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco, where saturated, steep ground raises the risk of flooding and mudslides.
How Trudy formed
Trudy became a major hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast, reaching Category 3 strength on Friday, October 16, according to the Associated Press. It is the latest in a run of powerful storms in an unusually active eastern Pacific season.
From depression to major hurricane in three days
Trudy was named on Tuesday, October 13, when Tropical Depression Twenty-One-E strengthened into a tropical storm. At that point it had sustained winds of about 65 km/h and sat roughly 560 km south of Puerto Ángel in Oaxaca, according to Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN).
Both the SMN and the US National Hurricane Center forecast rapid intensification. The NHC said Trudy was expected to approach the coast of Mexico as a major hurricane late in the week, and the SMN's outlook showed it could climb as high as Category 4, with gusts potentially reaching 260 km/h off Guerrero and Michoacán.
What coastal communities face
Officials warned of heavy rain across southern and south-eastern Mexico and high waves along the Pacific coast. Local leaders in Acapulco pointed to Hurricane Otis, which hit the city as a Category 5 storm in October 2023, as a reminder that storms can strengthen quickly. They also cited Hurricane John in 2024 to stress that days of rain can be as dangerous as wind.
A crowded season
Trudy is the 19th named system of the 2026 eastern Pacific season. It follows Hurricane Simon, which strengthened to Category 2 while tracking along the coasts of Nayarit and Jalisco earlier in the week. Mexican forecasters say El Niño is warming the ocean surface, and the last four systems to form in the basin all became major hurricanes.
People in the forecast area should follow official SMN and Civil Protection guidance, prepare emergency kits and avoid flood-prone areas and river crossings.
Questions people are asking
Where is Hurricane Trudy now?
On Sunday night, October 18, Trudy was about 130 miles west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, moving away from the coast and expected to weaken rapidly, passing south of the Baja California peninsula.
Why has this Pacific hurricane season been so active?
Mexican forecasters point to El Niño, which warms the ocean surface and gives storms more fuel. Several recent systems have become major hurricanes.
How we verified this story
GlobeHourly wrote this report in its own words after checking the facts against 6 independent sources: official statements, wire agencies and established news outlets. Read our standards.
Show the sources
- US News / AP — Hurricane Trudy strengthens to Category 3
- CBS News — Hurricane Trudy weakens to Category 1
- Al Jazeera — Hurricane Trudy makes its way towards Mexico
- The Rio Times — Storm Trudy off Mexico's Pacific coast
- N+ — Trudy track and location (Spanish)
- Teletica — Mexico's Pacific on alert (Spanish)
