At least five people have died after Storm Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel swept across Mexico's Pacific coast, bringing floods that toppled trees and power poles, blocked roads and submerged homes.
In the southern state of Guerrero, Governor Evelyn Salgado said Storm Simon had claimed the life of a 71-year-old man when a wall collapsed in Chilpancingo. She added that the storm had also damaged infrastructure and homes in the state's coastal towns, including the major port of Acapulco.
The Baja California state prosecutor's office said Tropical Storm Rachel was believed to be responsible for the deaths of four members of the same family, including two children, whose bodies were found on the outskirts of the city of Ensenada.
Officials said a further five people remain missing, while security forces used helicopters to rescue 32 people. Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar said officials were assisting more than 50 people at temporary shelters.
According to the authorities, Storm Simon did not make landfall and, after weakening to a Category 2 on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, is moving away from the coast. However, rain warnings remained in place.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said heavy rainfall linked to Storm Simon in west-central Mexico over the coming days could still cause life-threatening flooding and landslides.
Officials warned that waves of up to 5 metres were still forecast in some coastal areas. Flooding and landslides have affected communities near rivers and streams in the states of Michoacan and Colima.
The El Niño phenomenon, characterised by rising sea temperatures in the Pacific, is driving stronger storms this season in the region. Meteorologists say the 2026-27 El Niño, which brings global shifts in winds and rainfall as well as erratic weather conditions, is certain to be the strongest on record. Scientists now also believe that human-caused global heating is making El Niño events more intense.
Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
