Hurricane Simon Becomes Season's Eighth Major Hurricane Off Baja California Coast

Hurricane Simon has become the eighth major hurricane of the 2014 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, according to data from U.S. Air Force Hurricane Hunters flying inside the storm. The flight crew determined that Simon had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph as of 11 a.m. PDT Saturday, making it a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Simon became the eighteenth named Eastern Pacific tropical storm of the season off the coast of Mexico on October 2. By late October 3, Simon strengthened into the thirteenth hurricane of the season.

Hurricane Simon is embedded in an environment of relatively low wind shear (changing wind direction and/or speed with height typically hostile to developing or mature tropical cyclones), moist air, and warm sea-surface temperatures which has supported a burst of rapid intensification. This strengthening should level off and Simon should peak in intensity late Saturday or Saturday night.
Simon is expected to track toward the west-northwest over the next several days, with its center likely to remain offshore of the Mexican Pacific coast.
With that said, outer rainbands on the periphery of Simon's circulation will continue to wring out locally heavy rain, which could trigger flash flooding and mudslides across the middle and southern extent of Baja California. As much as 5 to 10 inches of rain, as well as locally higher amounts of 15 inches, are expected to fall within Baja. Rain of this intensity would cause dangerous flash flooding and mudslides, including the Los Cabos area, which was hard hit by Category 3 Hurricane Odile last month and is still cleaning up from the damage.
In addition, large swells and rough surf will create dangerous rip tides and ocean currents along the coast of Baja.
At this time, it appears this system is not a major wind threat to the storm-weary Baja Peninsula. Any possible north to northeast curve in track early next week will take Simon over cooler water and into an environment of increasing wind shear and more stable air, inducing weakening.