Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) is warning that two nearby low-pressure areas in the Pacific Ocean have a high probability of developing into tropical storms this week, with the potential to generate significant rainfall in several regions of the country.
If they continue to develop, the systems will be named Elida and Fausto, according to the official list of tropical cyclone names, and will be the fifth and sixth named storms of the 2026 season.
La zona de baja presión al sur de #Michoacán incrementa a 90% su probabilidad para desarrollo ciclónico en 48 horas. Se prevé la formación de una zona de baja presión al sur de las costas de #Jalisco.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rGoTt8Xi4R
— CONAGUA Clima (@conagua_clima) July 14, 2026
Should they approach Mexican territory, they could cause heavy rains, strong winds and high waves, especially in the southwestern states of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima and Oaxaca.
Satellite images show the two systems very close to one another, which could give rise to the so-called Fujiwhara effect, when two tropical cyclones begin to rotate around each other.
What’s the latest update on potential storms Elida and Fausto?
As for the system that could potentially evolve into tropical storm Elida, there is a 90% chance it forms in the next two days, and a 100% probability in the next seven days.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts that tropical storm Elida will form late on Tuesday, though it presents no direct threat to land. Currently, the center of the system is located 525 kilometers southwest of Punta San Telmo, Michoacán, with a west-northwest trajectory.
The system that could develop into Tropical Storm Fausto is located much closer to Mexico.
Forecasts currently place it a few hundred kilometers south of Técpan de Galeana, Guerrero, with a 70% chance of developing into a tropical storm in the next seven days. The NHC said that a tropical depression is likely to form in this area by the weekend.
Forecasters also monitoring the arrival of the Saharan dust
While forecasters are vigilant of simultaneous cyclones in the Pacific Ocean, the National Water Commission (Conagua) predicts the arrival of dust from the Sahara Desert to Mexico’s Atlantic coast, with effects that could be felt through Saturday.
Saharan dust is expected to enter Mexico through the Yucatán Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico states, causing grayish tones in the sky during the day and reddish sunsets.
With reports from Milenio, The Watchers, El Informador, Nmás, El Financiero and Meteored
