Safety · Friday, October 9, 2026
Hurricane Simon is strengthening fast off Mexico's Pacific coast and could arrive as a Category 4
Added 8:05 a.m. ET, Oct. 9
The File desk · Oct 9, 2026, 12:05 PM UTC
Status
Confirmed. Figures come from the U.S. National Hurricane Center's 6 a.m. Central (8 a.m. Eastern) intermediate advisory 8A and its 3 a.m. Central advisory and discussion 8, read on nhc.noaa.gov. This desk did not open Mexico's national weather service pages. This is a forecast.
- Confirmed
At 8 a.m. Eastern, Simon had top winds near 90 mph and was about 215 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico, moving northwest at 5 mph (advisory 8A).
- Confirmed
The center forecasts rapid strengthening, to about 145 mph by Saturday afternoon Eastern time, and calls for Simon to be a very dangerous major hurricane as its core nears the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico on Saturday (advisory 8A; discussion 8).
- Confirmed
A hurricane warning covers Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita (advisory 8A).
Hurricane Simon is gaining strength quickly about 215 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects it to become a very dangerous major hurricane as its core nears the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico on Saturday. A hurricane warning covers the coast from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita.
At 8 a.m. Eastern its top winds were near 90 mph, and it was creeping northwest at 5 mph. The center's forecast has winds near 145 mph, Category 4 strength, by Saturday afternoon Eastern time, with a slow turn north toward land. Hurricane conditions are expected in the warning area Saturday evening or Sunday.
Rain is a serious threat too. The center forecasts 8 to 15 inches over parts of southwestern Mexico, and as much as 25 inches in spots across Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit through Sunday. That could set off deadly floods and mudslides in steep country. A dangerous storm surge is possible near and east of where the center comes ashore.
A tropical storm watch covers the coast east of Punta San Telmo to Lázaro Cárdenas, and more watches or warnings could follow today. The U.S. center tells people in Mexico to follow their national weather service for local warnings.
What is still unknown or disputed
- Exactly where and when Simon's core reaches land, and how strong it is then.
- What Mexico's own weather service is saying. This desk did not open its pages.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Hurricane Simon Intermediate Advisory Number 8A
National Hurricane Center (NOAA) · October 9, 2026
Rapid strengthening is expected today and tomorrow. Simon is forecast to be a very dangerous major hurricane when it approaches the coast of Mexico.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2026/ep20/ep202026.public_a.008.shtml
Source 2
Hurricane Simon Discussion Number 8
National Hurricane Center (NOAA) · October 9, 2026
Simon is expected to approach the west-central coast of Mexico as a major hurricane on Saturday.
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2026/ep20/ep202026.discus.008.shtml