The National Hurricane Center issued Hurricane Trudy Forecast Discussion Number 9 at 900 AM CST on October 15, 2026. The agency set the storm's initial intensity at 80 knots (90 mph) as it approaches Mexico's Pacific coast.

Hurricane Trudy is undergoing rapid intensification after strengthening by 30 knots in the 24 hours prior to the advisory. Microwave imagery shows the system has developed an eyewall while moving north-northwest at 5 knots.

The forecast indicates Hurricane Trudy will become a major hurricane within 12 to 24 hours. The center projects the storm will peak as a Category 4 hurricane with 125 knot winds in 36 hours.

An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is en route to sample the cyclone. A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for a portion of the southwestern Mexican coast.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Trudy is expected to impact the southwest Mexican coast between Guerrero and Jalisco through the weekend. The precipitation may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides by the weekend across Colima and Jalisco. Large swells are also expected to affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico starting Friday and continuing through the weekend.

Why It Matters

The National Hurricane Center, a division of the United States' National Weather Service, tracks storms that threaten populated areas along the Pacific basin. Jalisco is a state of Mexico where authorities monitor potential impacts from tropical systems.

The 2026 Pacific hurricane season has produced the highest accumulated cyclone energy value on record in the basin, surpassing the 2018 season. This season is tied with the 1994, 2002, and 2018 seasons as the season with the most Category 5 hurricanes, with three having formed this season.