Overview
- The National Hurricane Center reported that Vance rapidly became a Category 2 hurricane on Friday with peak sustained winds near 105 mph before weakening to lower hurricane strength as it moves north-northwest toward Mexico.
- NHC forecasts on Saturday and Sunday show Vance slowing and gradually weakening over the next several days while remaining close enough offshore to send life-threatening swells and rip currents to southern and western Mexican shores.
- Heavy, terrain-enhanced rainfall is expected to affect coastal states from Michoacán to Jalisco for much of the week and could trigger flash flooding and mudslides in steep, vulnerable areas.
- The Gulf of Tehuantepec is experiencing pulsing gale-force gap winds that are producing hazardous seas and could alter local wind fields near Vance, complicating marine and coastal conditions.
- Vance is the latest in a string of powerful Eastern Pacific storms this season linked to a strong El Niño, and the storm’s name has generated social media jokes tying it to U.S. Vice President JD Vance despite WMO naming lists being pre-set.