Genevieve strengthened into the first Category 5 hurricane in the Eastern Pacific basin since Hurricane Kristy in 2024 as it rapidly intensified early Monday.
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Source: New York Post
Genevieve strengthened into the first Category 5 hurricane in the Eastern Pacific basin since Hurricane Kristy in 2024 as it rapidly intensified early Monday.
Hurricane Genevieve is also the Northern Hemisphere’s first major hurricane of the 2026 season, across both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins.
The storm is currently barreling west-northwest across the open waters of the Eastern Pacific, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
Genevieve is expected to remain well out to sea, with no expected impacts to land.
However, Genevieve is bringing swells to parts of southern Baja California and the southwestern coast of Mexico that are causing life-threatening rip currents, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm is moving into a region highly conducive to development, as the wind shear is expected to decrease while ocean temperatures continue to rise.
Satellite image showing Hurricane Genevieve as a Category 5 storm in the Pacific Ocean near Mexico, with an advisory panel indicating 160 mph winds. FOX Weather
The water in the region is not only warm at the surface but also well below the surface, providing the storm with plenty of fuel.