Hurricane Rachel 2026

Live tracking map, satellite, radar, and forecasts of Hurricane Rachel 2026 in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Current wind speed 80mph. Max 120mph.

Rachel continues to be impacted by northeasterly wind shear and dry mid-level air. Recent satellite imagery shows that the northern portion of the circulation is eroding, with the eye now open on the northern side. Cloud-top temperatures have warmed, and deep convection is now primarily confined to the southern semicircle. The latest satellite intensity estimates range between 73 and 100 mph (85 knots). Given the degraded satellite appearance, the initial intensity is lowered to 80 mph (70 knots) for this advisory.

The initial motion is westward, or 275/6 knots. Rachel is being steered west-northwestward by a subtropical ridge located over the western United States, and this general motion is expected to continue over the next couple of days. Thereafter, a mid- to upper-level trough is forecast to approach the U.S. West Coast, which will erode the western portion of the ridge. This should cause Rachel to slow down, turn sharply toward the northeast, and then re-accelerate. The latest NHC track forecast lies very close to the previous official forecast, though it has been nudged slightly right and faster at the end of the period which trends towards the HCCA and GDMI track aids.

Dry air entrainment is steadily eroding the convection, and the surrounding air mass is forecast to remain dry and stable. Although wind shear may briefly relax, the cyclone will soon be traversing cooler sea surface temperatures. Given the combination of these hostile environmental conditions, a steady weakening trend is anticipated. Convection is expected to become increasingly intermittent and disorganized, and the system is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone by day 4. The official NHC intensity forecast is very similar to the previous, showing gradual then steady weakening throughout the forecast period.