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Hurricane Lorena officially strengthened from a tropical storm early Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall and the threat of life-threatening flash floods and mudslides across parts of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Lorena is expected to continue tracking northward along the Pacific coast, with its outer bands already bringing rain and dangerous surf conditions to coastal regions.

Lorena’s Current Strength and Location

As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Lorena was located about 115 miles west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas and 180 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lazaro, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph — barely reaching hurricane status.

The NHC warned that “rapid strengthening is likely through tonight,” though Lorena may weaken back to a tropical storm by Friday. The center of the storm is forecast to move parallel to the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula today and Thursday, then approach the coast Thursday night into Friday.

Satellite imagery released by NOAA on Sept. 3, 2025, showed the storm’s massive cloud bands swirling off the Pacific coastline.

Warnings and Watches in Effect

Mexico’s government has issued a tropical storm warning for the west coast of Baja California Sur from Santa Fe to Cabo San Lazaro, along with a tropical storm watch extending northward to Punta Abreojos.

Forecasters say Lorena could drop 5 to 10 inches of rainfall in Baja California Sur, with localized totals reaching 15 inches in mountainous terrain. “This will bring the risk of life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of higher terrain,” the NHC warned.

A Second Storm in the Pacific: Hurricane Kiko

While Lorena moves toward land, a second storm—Hurricane Kiko—is gaining strength farther out in the Pacific near the Hawaiian Islands. Kiko has already reached Category 2 status with sustained winds of 105 mph and is expected to become a major hurricane. Fortunately, the NHC confirmed that Kiko is not expected to threaten land.

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Community Concerns

Residents in the impact area and emergency officials are bracing for the weather to strike.  “The rainfall is our biggest concern,” one Baja California emergency official told reporters. “Even if Lorena weakens, the flooding and landslide risks will remain very real for our communities.”

As Baja California prepares for the storm’s arrival, meteorologists stress the importance of continued vigilance, since Lorena’s strength and trajectory could shift in the coming days.

For updates, follow the National Hurricane Center and UPI coverage of Hurricane Lorena’s progress.

Parts of Mexico, Texas, and New Mexico are expected to receive some rainfall and possible flash flooding as the storm scatters over the US on Monday.