Genevieve now a Category 4 hurricane as storm barrels through the Eastern Pacific

Hurricane Genevieve is barreling through the Pacific Ocean as a Category 4 storm after being slightly downgraded in the National Hurricane Center's most recent advisory.

Genevieve reached Category 5 strength in the Eastern Pacific basin early Monday morning, but has since been downgraded. It was the first time a storm reached Category 5 status since Hurricane Kristy in 2024.

Hurricane Genevieve is also the Northern Hemisphere's first major hurricane of the 2026 season, across both the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins.

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The storm is currently moving west-northwest across the open waters of the Eastern Pacific, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

Genevieve is expected to remain well out to sea, with no expected impacts to land, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

However, Genevieve is bringing swells to parts of southern Baja California and the southwestern coast of Mexico that are causing life-threatening rip currents, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

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According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm is moving into a region highly conducive to development, as the wind shear is expected to decrease while ocean temperatures continue to rise.

The water in the region is not only warm at the surface but also well below the surface, providing the storm with plenty of fuel.

By the middle of the week, the hurricane will move over cooler waters, which will begin the weakening process.

Progressively cooler water will take its toll on the storm, so by the weekend, it will either be a weak system or have dissipated entirely.

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Hurricane Genevieve was named over the weekend and quickly intensified into a Category 5 storm within 24 hours.

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Typically, the average din the eastern Pacific is July 15.

Stay with FOX Weather for the latest developments.