Hurricane Vance has formed in the Pacific Ocean, well off the southern coast of Mexico, but it's not the only activity forecasters are watching in the Pacific.
Named a tropical storm on Oct. 21, 2026, Vance intensified into a hurricane in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, according to the United States National Hurricane Center. In a 9 a.m. Central Time update, the hurricane center said the storm had 90 mph winds and was about 455 miles south-southwest of Acapulco.
Vance is the 23rd named storm of the busy 2026 season in the northeast Pacific, which includes the hurricane center's east and central Pacific basins. The forecast remains uncertain, but it could become the fourth Pacific tropical system to make landfall in Mexico this year.
Forecasters
also are watching other potential weather disruptions from the Pacific for the Halloween week.
The National Weather Service in Hawaii warned on Oct. 23 of an "unusual weather pattern" that could develop from a disturbance the hurricane center is monitoring southwest of the state. It could track eastward toward the islands by Oct. 27-28, bringing a broad area of deep tropical moisture, with the potential for "significant heavy rain and flash flooding," the weather service said.
Californians also urged to monitor the weather
Meanwhile, meteorologists with the weather service in Southern California are watching the potential for a storm system in that region as Halloween approaches. Much uncertainty remains for the window between Oct. 29 and Nov. 3, the weather service said, but cautioned Southern California residents to monitor the forecast for developments.
"There could be no precipitation, but there is a very small chance that this storm could be a significant storm system for this time of year," said Todd Hall, a weather service meteorologist in Los Angeles.
Higher-than-normal high tides are expected with the full moon, coinciding with a time of year in the fall and winter when tides are typically higher.
Vance forecast uncertain
Vance is forecast to briefly become a major hurricane, with winds of 111 mph or greater, on Saturday, Oct. 24, then begin to weaken. The hurricane center indicated its track forecast remains uncertain, but the current forecast calls for Vance to be roughly 100 miles south of Manzanillo on Oct. 28, with 85 mph winds.
Swells generated by Vance are expected to begin affecting southern and southwestern Mexico this weekend, with life-threatening surf and rip current conditions possible, the hurricane center said.
Mexico has seen impacts from several storms this hurricane season
Warm waters fueled by the strengthening El Niño along the equator off the South American coast are helping to drive the "hyperactive" season in the Pacific, and also have contributed to the atmospheric winds that have resulted in a less active season in the Atlantic, according to Phil Klotzbach, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University.
From Oct. 4 to Oct. 10, Hurricane Simon caused torrents of rain in more than 20 municipalities in Mexico, according to an English translation of the Guerrero Congress website. It left six homes under rubble in Barranca Xoco, in the municipality of Acatepec, the government stated.
Swells and huge waves from Hurricane Polo also affected the coast of Mexico in late September, flooding the homes of 260 families, according to an update from the State Civil Protection Council of Sinaloa.
Several other storms, including major hurricanes, have drawn close to the coast this year.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers violent weather, climate and the environment, among other news. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Vance forms, could become major system
