Rachel to turn toward northern Baja California this weekend; no alerts for Baja California Sur
The tropical storm is about 1,500 km west of Los Cabos and would near the peninsula's northern coast on Saturday. Simon, off Colima, has prompted a hurricane warning for Michoacán and Jalisco.
Tropical Storm Rachel will turn northeast on Friday, October 9, and its center is expected to approach northern Baja California late Saturday, October 10, according to the National Hurricane Center's (NHC) 2 p.m. Pacific time advisory on Thursday. As of that advisory, no coastal watches or warnings were in effect anywhere on the peninsula, including Baja California Sur.
Where Rachel is and where it is headed
Rachel's center was at 22.4°N, 124.6°W, roughly 1,500 kilometers (935 miles) west of the southern tip of the peninsula. Maximum sustained winds were near 65 mph, and it was drifting west-northwest at about 3 mph.
Forecasters expect a turn to the northeast with increasing speed on Friday and Saturday, with gradual weakening but tropical-storm strength as it nears land. The projected track takes the center toward northern Baja California and the northern Gulf of California, keeping it well offshore of Baja California Sur on the way.
What the peninsula can expect
The NHC said Rachel could bring 1 to 3 inches of rain to parts of Baja California this weekend. The risk of tropical-storm-force winds is increasing for northern Baja California and extreme northwestern Mexico, and watches could be issued there tonight.
Swells partly generated by Rachel will build along Southern California and northern Baja California, bringing life-threatening rip currents and minor to moderate coastal flooding.
Simon: hurricane warning for Michoacán and Jalisco
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Simon was about 230 miles (370 km) south of Manzanillo, Colima, with winds near 70 mph. The NHC has a hurricane warning from Punta San Telmo, Michoacán, to Playa Pérula, Jalisco, and forecasts rapid strengthening to Category 4 before landfall.
Mexico's National Weather Service (SMN) is also tracking Simon. None of the current warnings for this system include Baja California Sur.
What it means for people in BCS
In early October, Rachel's passage as a hurricane led Los Cabos to open four temporary shelters and carry out precautionary evacuations near arroyos. This time the forecast points farther north, but the Pacific hurricane season runs through November 30.
- If you are driving the Transpeninsular Highway toward Ensenada or Tijuana this weekend, check the weather before leaving: the worst conditions are expected in the northern peninsula.
- In Mulegé and along the Pacific coast, watch for state Civil Protection and port authority notices before heading out to sea.
- Rely on official sources: Mexico's National Weather Service and Baja California Sur Civil Protection. In an emergency, call 911.
Related
Published in Official Bulletin No. 37, the document coordinates the Search Commission, prosecutors, Civil Protection, the armed forces and police.
The city continues its preventive operation in Cabo San Lucas and urges residents not to cross arroyos or runoff channels on foot or by car.
Two shelters are in San José del Cabo and two in Cabo San Lucas. Families near the Salto Seco and Aguajito arroyos and in the Santa Rosa and El Zacatal neighborhoods are covered by the evacuation plan.
Firefighters from La Ribera's Station 5 pulled both people from the current during Hurricane Rachel's rains; they were checked on scene and reported stable.