[3] For much of the summer of 1971, a large pool of anomalously warm water temperatures extended from Central America to the Gulf of California off the Mexican coast, reaching 89.6 °F (32 °C).

[2] Early on June 15, a ship reported winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and 13 ft (4.0 m) seas, which prompted the Eastern Pacific Hurricane Center (EPHC) to upgrade the depression to Tropical Storm Bridget.

It gradually intensified, and satellite images late on June 16 indicated that Bridget attained hurricane status about 55 mi (95 km) southwest of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca.

[3] Bridget paralleled the Mexican coastline just offshore before making landfall at 1200 UTC on June 17, about 100 mi (160 km) southeast of Manzanillo, Colima.

The hurricane rapidly weakened over the mountainous terrain, emerging into the Pacific Ocean as a tropical depression after being over land for only a few hours.

[2] Bridget turned westward as a weak tropical cyclone, eventually dissipating on June 20 to the south of the Baja California peninsula.