Major Hurricane Genevieve tore through the eastern Pacific this week, blowing past Category 4 and briefly touching Category 5 strength in one of the fastest intensification bursts the basin has seen in years. It’s the first storm to reach that top tier in the eastern Pacific since Hurricane Kristy back in 2024, and forecasters say it also marks the first major hurricane of the 2026 season across either the eastern Pacific or the Atlantic. Genevieve’s Days Are NumberedFor all its punch, Genevieve isn’t going to hold onto Category 5 or even Category 4 strength for long. Hurricane Fausto, which became the East Pacific’s first hurricane of the season before Genevieve’s rapid rise, is currently tracking toward Hawaii as a Category 1 storm. Between Genevieve and Fausto, the eastern Pacific has now produced six named storms this season, a pace that’s outstripping the Atlantic, which has managed just two so far.