Manzanillo, Colima — On Monday morning, Tropical Storm Barbara quickly gained hurricane status in the Pacific. The National Hurricane Centre (NOAA) upgraded Barbara’s status around 8:00 a.m. MST to a category 1 hurricane.
Hurricane Barbara, the first hurricane of the 2025 season, was located about 245 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Manzanillo at the time of her gained status. The NOAA reports Barbara is moving toward the northwest at 17 km/h (10 mph) and is a motion that is expected to continue for the next couple of days.
Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/h) with higher gusts. Some slight additional strengthening is possible today, but a weakening trend is forecast to begin on Tuesday, they said.
While Hurricane Barbara moves through the Pacific, hurricane-force winds will extend outward up to 10 miles (20 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 130 kms or 80 miles.
Outer bands of Barbara may bring total rainfall amounts of 50 mms to 100 mms (2 to 4 inches) to coastal portions of the Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco through today. This rainfall may lead to localized areas of flooding and mudslides.
Newly formed Hurricane Barbara will produce swells that will affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Hurricane Barbara is one of three current systems in the Pacific. Meteorologists are also monitoring Tropical Storm Cosme located in the eastern Pacific basin off the coast of southwestern Mexico.
Early Monday, Tropical Storm Cosme was located moving west-northwest with maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 km/h with gusts to 55 km/h. Cosme will continue to move west-northwest to northwest during the next day or so.
Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) says Tropical Storm Cosme will gain hurricane status early Tuesday. Hurricane Cosme is forecast to lose strength for Wednesday back down to a tropical storm. The NOAA forecasts Cosme to dissipate across the Revillagigedo Islands through mid week.
Cosme is currently located approximately 1,000 kms south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur and is not expected to affect the Mexican coast. If Cosme gains hurricane status as predicted, it will be the second hurricane to form in the Eastern Pacific basin, going from zero to two in 24 hours.
