October 9, 2026 — Update to our October 8 story. Simon became a hurricane and is forecast to reach Category 4 strength on Saturday. A hurricane warning now covers the Pacific coast from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita, which includes Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. The US National Hurricane Center expects the centre very near or over the coast on Sunday.
Hurricane Simon
- Advisory 9, 9 am CST Friday: Winds of 100 mph. The centre was about 210 miles south of Manzanillo, moving northwest at 3 mph.
- Hurricane Warning (new): Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita.
- Hurricane Watch (new): Punta Mita to San Blas.
- Tropical Storm Watch: East of Punta San Telmo to Lázaro Cárdenas.
- Forecast strength: A major hurricane by Friday evening, peaking near 145 mph on Saturday. The forecast shows about 110 mph as the centre moves inland near Cabo Corrientes on Sunday evening.
- Timing: Tropical-storm conditions Saturday morning. Hurricane conditions Saturday evening or Sunday.
- Rain: 8–15 inches, isolated 25, across Michoacán, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit through Sunday.
- Los Cabos: Not under any watch or warning.
- After landfall: The forecast track runs north toward the Mazatlán area by Tuesday as a weakening storm.
On the ground
- Puerto Vallarta: Jalisco civil protection asked the tourism sector to move visitors and staff to shelters or safe areas by Friday afternoon, Excélsior reports. It is a request, not a mandatory evacuation.
- Schools: Jalisco suspended classes Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities, including Puerto Vallarta.
- Ports: Lázaro Cárdenas is closed to all vessels. Acapulco is closed to small craft, EFE reports.
- Airports: We found no closure or cancellation notice for Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Manzanillo (ZLO) or Mazatlán (MZT). Status is TBA.
- Gulf side: Mexican authorities say Isaias is no longer a risk to Mexico.
Also new
- Tropical Storm Rachel: Far west of Baja California with 50 mph winds. The Hurricane Center said a tropical storm watch may be issued for northern Baja California. It expects 1–3 inches of rain there this weekend.
- Mexico City road blockades: Striking public-health (IMSS) workers blocked Paseo de la Reforma and other main roads from Thursday night into Friday, La Crónica reports. The end time is TBA. The airport is not mentioned.
- Canadian advisory: Unconfirmed. Daily Hive reports a Canadian storm warning for Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco. Canada’s Mexico page showed no storm text when we checked.
What it means for airline travelers
- Leave Puerto Vallarta or Manzanillo by Saturday morning if you can. After that, flights are likely to cancel and standby seats will vanish.
- Do not list into PVR or ZLO for the weekend. A storm this strong can close an airport for days.
- Mazatlán is next. The track takes the weakening storm that way on Monday and Tuesday.
- Already there and staying? Follow hotel and civil protection instructions and know where your shelter is.
- Mexico City: Allow extra time to reach the airport while road blockades continue.
- Enroll in STEP or Registration of Canadians Abroad so the embassy can reach you.
Sources
- US National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Simon Public Advisory Number 9
- US National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Simon Discussion Number 9
- US National Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Rachel Public Advisory Number 49
- Excélsior: Ordenan en Puerto Vallarta resguardo de turistas y empleados por el huracán Simon
- Noticias PV: Suspenden clases en Puerto Vallarta por huracán Simon
- EFE via Infobae: México cierra puertos en el Pacífico por la tormenta Simon, que será huracán
- La Crónica de Hoy: Bloqueos del IMSS en EDOMEX y CDMX: Estos serán los puntos afectados por manifestaciones este 9 de octubre
- Daily Hive: Canada issues travel advisory updates for the U.S. and Mexico
- Government of Canada: Travel advice and advisories for Mexico
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