After recurving to the northeast, Barbara intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on May 29 and made landfall in Chiapas at peak intensity with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a barometric pressure estimated at 983 mbar (hPa; 29.03 inHg).

Barbara then moved across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dissipated within the mountainous terrain of Sierra Madre de Chiapas on May 30.

A tropical wave moved off the west coast of Africa on May 16 and crossed Central America into the Pacific Ocean on May 24.

[1] That day, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring an area of disturbed weather about 150 mi (240 km) southwest of the Costa Rican coastline.

[1] Convection soon became organized around the newly formed low, and the NHC noted that the formation of a tropical cyclone within the subsequent 48 hours was likely.

[4][5] The NHC estimated that Tropical Depression Two-E developed at 1200 UTC on May 28 about 125 mi (205 km) south-southeast of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca.

[1] With warm water temperatures of over 86 °F (30 °C) and low wind shear, the newly formed tropical depression was able to quickly intensify.

[1] Barbara began exhibiting an eye-like feature, and intensity estimates using the Dvorak Technique reached 40 mph (65 km/h).

[8] By midnight, the eye-like feature developed into a central dense overcast (CDO), embedded within the deep convection.

[10] Barbara strengthened into a hurricane around 1800 UTC on May 29 while located about 65 mi (105 km) east-southeast of Salina Cruz, Mexico.

[11] At its peak intensity as it was making landfall, it had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) and a barometric pressure estimated at 983 mbar (hPa; 29.03 inHg).

[18] In Guatemala, a "preventive" alert was issued; Barbara was similar to Hurricane Mitch and Tropical Storm Agatha (both which devastated the nation) and thus had the potential to produce flash floods.

[20] For the southeastern and eastern part of Oaxaca and southwestern and central-western Chiapas, a red (high risk) alert was issued.

[21] Both large and small boats were anchored in Playa Manzanillo, to prevent being sunk by strong winds and rough seas, and water sports were suspended in Acapulco.

[31] Starting early on May 29, the outer rainbands of Tropical Storm Barbara brought torrential rains to several states and power outages to Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, and Veracruz.

[23] Upon making landfall, Barbara struck a largely undeveloped stretch of coastal lagoons, containing small fishing villages.

[35] The towns of Tonala and Arriaga were the worst affected by the hurricane, where dozens of trees, poles, billboards and roofs were damaged due to strong winds.