Hurricane Genevieve intensified into a Category 5 storm early Monday, marking the first such powerful system in the East Pacific region in two years.
Genevieve was named Saturday night and quickly intensified into a Category 4 storm by Sunday evening.
Despite its formidable strength, forecasters anticipate Genevieve will remain far out at sea, tracking a course roughly parallel to Mexico’s coastline.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported Genevieve sustained maximum winds of 160 mph (260 kph). Its center was located approximately 530 miles (855 kilometers) southwest of Manzanillo, moving northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
While no coastal watches or warnings were issued, the hurricane center cautioned that swells generated by the storm were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and the Baja California Peninsula, likely causing "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions."
Genevieve is expected to begin weakening from Tuesday.
Further west in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto weakened to a Category 1 storm as it continued its trajectory toward the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters predict Fausto will be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming days, but warned it could still generate significant surf for parts of Hawaii.
Fausto currently has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and was located about 670 miles (1,080 kilometers) east of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph).
The storms come on the heels of Tropical Storm Bertha, which brought heavy rain and strong winds to the United States’ Gulf Coast last week.
It made landfall Wednesday afternoon in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, then again on Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana state line. No deaths or significant damage were reported.
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Genevieve becomes a major Pacific hurricane off Mexico, but no direct threat to land is forecast
Hurricane Genevieve moves through the Pacific off Mexico, but no direct threat to land is forecast
