Hurricane Simon weakens to Category 2 after lashing western Mexico coast

Hurricane Simon weakened to a Category 2 storm on Monday as it moved westward off the Pacific coast of Mexico, according to reports by UPI and CNN. The National Hurricane Center stated in an 11 a.m. MST update that the center of the storm was located approximately 60 miles west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and 210 miles south of Mazatlan, UPI reported. [1][2]

The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving west at 2 mph, according to UPI. The Daily Express, Al Jazeera, and the New York Post reported that the system previously reached Category 3 or Category 4 strength, bringing heavy rainfall, severe winds, and flooding to popular coastal areas, including Puerto Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes. CBS News, Reuters, and the Daily Express added that the hurricane battered vulnerable resort towns and prompted evacuations along the shoreline. [1][4][5][6][7][8]

Hurricane Simon formed on October 7 from a low-pressure area south of Mexico. It is the twenty-first named storm, eleventh hurricane, and ninth major hurricane of the 2026 Pacific hurricane season. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the storm had previously intensified to Category 4 strength with sustained winds of 150 mph as it approached western Mexico. [11][13]

A hurricane warning remains in effect for Las Islas Marias, UPI reported. According to the same report, a hurricane watch covers the area north of Cabo Corrientes to Bahia Tempehuaya, while a tropical storm warning extends from Playa Perula to Cabo Corrientes. [1]