Hurricane Rachel remained a Category 2 hurricane over the open eastern Pacific late Sunday, October 4, while swells from the storm continued to pose a dangerous surf and rip-current risk along parts of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.
In its 8 p.m. Mountain Standard Time advisory, the National Hurricane Center placed Rachel near latitude 20.2 north and longitude 114.8 west. Maximum sustained winds had eased to 100 mph, the storm was moving west-northwest at 7 mph, and the estimated minimum pressure was 967 millibars.
No coastal watches or warnings
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, and the hurricane’s forecast track kept its center over the eastern Pacific. That distinction matters: a hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in a specified coastal area, while Rachel’s current hazard for land is from ocean conditions rather than a forecast landfall.
The center said hurricane-force winds extended up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds reached outward as far as 125 miles. Rachel was expected to turn west later Sunday and continue generally westward through the middle of the week.
Surf hazard and forecast uncertainty
Swells generated by Rachel were expected to affect parts of the Baja California Peninsula through Monday. Those swells could create dangerous breaking waves and rip currents even while the storm’s center remains far offshore. Beachgoers and boaters should use current guidance from Mexican authorities and local lifeguards rather than relying only on the hurricane’s distance from land.
Rachel weakened slightly between the afternoon and evening advisories while continuing away from land over the open Pacific. The forecast still calls for gradual weakening as the cyclone encounters less favorable conditions. Track and intensity forecasts can change, and later advisories should replace the figures in this report.
Readers can follow additional storm and hazard coverage in AskNovus Weather. The National Hurricane Center’s current advisory page is the authoritative source for the latest position, wind speed and warning status.
Featured image: Kelsey Booth/Unsplash.
Sources
- National Hurricane Center storm dashboard and Public Advisory 32, issued October 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST.
- National Hurricane Center Forecast Discussion 32, issued October 4, 2026, at 8 p.m. MST.
[…] in the Pacific, Hurricane Rachel continues producing dangerous surf toward Baja California while moving away from […]