Mexico's hurricane season: the official warnings to follow, and the storms of 2026 so far

Mexico has two hurricane coasts. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the eastern Pacific season runs from May 15 to November 30, and the Atlantic season, which includes the Caribbean Sea, from June 1 to November 30. The U.S. State Department gives Mexico's tropical storm and hurricane season as May to November; the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says: "The hurricane season in Mexico normally runs from June to November and can affect the Pacific and Atlantic coasts."

This guide explains where the official warnings come from, what U.S. and UK travel advice says, and what the 2026 season has brought so far. It matters for any coastal trip booked for November.

The 2026 season so far

The Pacific side has been the busy one. NHC's archive for 2026 lists 20 named eastern Pacific storms, from Amanda to Vance, plus Nolo, which also appears in the central Pacific list. By our count of that list, 11 of the 20 reached hurricane strength. NHC's average for a whole eastern Pacific season, based on 1991 to 2020, is 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes. The Atlantic list for 2026 is shorter: 10 named storms, from Arthur to Josephine, of which only Isaias became a hurricane, against an Atlantic average of 14 named storms and 7 hurricanes.

Four of the Pacific hurricanes came close to Mexico in the past five weeks:

Vance was still a hazard on land when this guide was last checked, on the morning of October 29. NHC's advisory at 8 a.m. MST that day forecast 2 to 4 inches of rain through the night across central and southern Sinaloa, far southwestern Durango and far northwestern Nayarit, with isolated totals over 5 inches possible in central and southern Sinaloa, and warned that the rain "may produce flooding and mudslides, especially in areas along steep terrain." It said swells were likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents on coastal parts of southwestern and west-central Mexico and the southern Baja California Peninsula during the next day or so. It expected Vance to become a post-tropical remnant low later that day and to dissipate that night or early on Friday. NHC's outlook for the eastern and central North Pacific the same morning gave one other area, well southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, a 30% chance of forming into a tropical cyclone over 7 days.

The FCDO's Mexico page carried information about Hurricane Trudy until October 20, when, its change log says, that information was removed from the warnings page.

Mexico's own alerts: five colors

NHC's advisories tell readers to monitor products issued by their national meteorological service. In Mexico, that is the National Meteorological Service (SMN), which CENAPRED, the national disaster-prevention center, says has operated since 1877. Since 2000, Mexico's civil protection system has also run an early-warning system for tropical cyclones, SIAT-CT. CENAPRED says it can give up to 72 hours' warning before a storm reaches a specific place.

The alerts follow two phases, a cyclone approaching (ciclón acercándose) and a cyclone moving away (ciclón alejándose), and five colors:

CENAPRED tells people to follow the instructions of Protección Civil, to check the alerts that the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) posts on social media, and to ignore rumors and sensational news in favor of official sources.

What U.S. and UK travel advice says

The FCDO's Mexico travel advice, last updated October 20, 2026, and still current on October 29, says: "Tropical storms and hurricanes cause floods, landslides and disruption to local services, including transport networks. After a hurricane there can still be continued flooding, high winds and rainfall." It advises: "Monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, including evacuation orders." Of Hurricane Otis, the Category 5 storm that hit near Acapulco in 2023, it says "Reconstruction efforts continue to disrupt tourism, and the security situation is unpredictable," and: "FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the city of Acapulco."

The State Department's travel information for Mexico says: "Stay informed of incoming storms and avoid these areas if possible." In its weather alert for Hurricane Trudy on October 15, the U.S. Embassy told U.S. citizens to "Monitor the National Hurricane Center and the Mexican National Meteorological Service on storm activity and emergency response" and to "Have evacuation plans that do not rely on U.S. Government assistance."

The official advice for a coastal trip before November 30

• Forecasts: the FCDO says to monitor weather updates from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, and CENAPRED points people in Mexico to the alerts the National Civil Protection Coordination posts on social media.
• Instructions: when a storm is about to reach a community, CENAPRED tells people to follow the instructions of Protección Civil; the FCDO says to follow the advice of local authorities and your tour operator, "including evacuation orders."
• Swimming: the FCDO says "Sea conditions can be unpredictable, and some beaches are unpatrolled. Follow coastguard and local authority guidance on whether it is safe to swim."
• Insurance: the FCDO says "Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency."

Inland trips are not immune, as Vance's rain forecast for southwestern Durango shows. Our Durango outdoors guide covers the state's mountain drives, and our report on San Carlos's new artificial reef covers the coast Polo reached in September.