Hurricane Simon intensified to a Category 4 storm in the Pacific, bringing severe weather threats, heavy rainfall, and coastal warnings to southern Sinaloa. State authorities mobilized emergency resources as the system slowed its forward movement off the Mexican coast.
The Pacific hurricane season brought a powerful threat to western Mexico as Hurricane Simon intensified to Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. With sustained winds reaching 240 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 290 kilometers per hour, the system tracked northward at roughly seven kilometers per hour, keeping regional authorities on high alert. For Sinaloa, the primary hazard flagged by meteorological reports centered on precipitation linked to its cloud bands, with dedicated focus directed toward the southern territory of the state.
Civil Protection Measures Across Sinaloa Municipalities
State officials mapped out potential impact zones as initial forecasts anticipated the system approaching between northern Nayarit and southern Sinaloa during the night of Sunday the 11th and the early hours of Monday the 12th of October. Under the direction of Roy Navarrete Cuevas, the director of the Instituto Estatal de Protección Civil, teams prepared evacuation routes, shelters, and transport units for vulnerable communities.
Authorities urged residents to secure loose outdoor objects, avoid flooded roadways, and heed safety restrictions along coastal beaches and maritime operations.
Rainfall Accumulations and Timeline for Southern Municipalities
State civil protection officials updated their forecasts as the storm’s outer bands began influencing regional weather. Although conditions remained relatively calm during early morning hours—with a report issued at 07:00 hours noting clear to partly cloudy skies and maximum temperatures ranging from 34 to 38 degrees Celsius—precipitation probabilities increased sharply after 14:00 hours on Monday, October 12, 2026, according to updates issued by Protección Civil.
Although Simon continued moving slowly over the ocean, its impacts did not rely solely on the proximity of its center to the Sinaloa coastline, as circulation-driven rain could develop before any eventual approach.
- Cosalá, Concordia, Rosario, and Escuinapa faced heavy rainfall projections ranging from 25 to 50 millimeters, with broader regional estimates from other agencies warning of potential totals between 75 and 150 millimeters in central and southern areas.
- Elota, San Ignacio, and Mazatlán expected moderate precipitation totals between 5 and 25 millimeters.
- Remaining Sinaloa municipalities anticipated lighter, isolated showers across the territory.
Coastal Winds, High Surf, and Trajectory Uncertainties
The slow movement of the hurricane meant its outer circulation generated significant hazards before any direct coastal approach. Southern coastal strips recorded wind gusts between 50 and 60 kilometers per hour alongside elevated surf heights of 2.5 to 3.5 meters. Meanwhile, in contrast to the forecast for Sinaloa, meteorological reports warned neighboring Colima and Jalisco of extraordinary rainfall, risk of floods and landslides, and severe wave heights reaching between six and eight meters in certain coastal sectors.
