Tropical Storm Trudy is spinning in the Pacific and is expected to become a hurricane within the next day or so as it approaches the southwestern coast of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 14, Trudy's center was located about 405 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph with higher gusts. Forecasters said Trudy is moving toward the west-northwest around 10 mph, with a turn toward the north-northwest and a decrease in forward speed expected Thursday, Oct. 15.
The hurricane center said "rapid intensification" is forecast during the next few days, with Trudy potentially becoming a hurricane by Wednesday night and a major hurricane by Friday, Oct. 16. Forecasters
said residents of southwestern and west-central Mexico should continue to monitor the progress of the storm.
Swells generated by Trudy are expected to begin affecting portions of the coast of southern Mexico late this week, with the swells likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Tropical Storm Trudy path tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the storm's center. It does not illustrate the storm's full width or its impacts, and the center can travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Tropical Storm Trudy spaghetti models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Track Tropical Storm Trudy as it threatens to become a hurricane
