Jova reached peak intensity the following day as a high-end Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h), and a minimum barometric pressure of 955 mbar (28.20 inHg).

Jova weakened somewhat as it approached the Pacific coast of Mexico, and made landfall near Barra de Navidad, Jalisco on October 12 as a still-powerful Category 2 hurricane.

Jova brought destructive winds, flooding rain, and deadly mudslides mainly to the Mexican states of Jalisco and Colima, killing nine people and leaving six more injured.

The depression continued to organize as it turned west-northwestwards around the southwestern edge of a subtropical ridge, becoming a tropical storm at 18:00 UTC about 505 mi (815 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was given the name Jova.

Combined with favorable sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 82–84 °F (28–29 °C), Jova began to strengthen more significantly as it moved north of the steering ridge and turned eastwards.

[1] Microwave satellite imagery revealed a nascent eye and eyewall late on October 8, marking Jova's intensification into a hurricane.

A reconnaissance aircraft investigating the storm also estimated that the central pressure fell at a rate of 3 mbar (0.089 inHg) an hour, indicative of a quickly strengthening system.

[1] After reaching its peak intensity, Jova began to gradually weaken on October 11 as an upper-atmospheric trough over the Baja California Peninsula generated southwesterly wind shear over the hurricane.

[1] The eye became cloud-filled and the eyewall began to fragment as the wind shear disrupted the storm's organization,[6][7] causing Jova to weaken below major hurricane status at 12:00 UTC on October 11.

Jova subsequently accelerated towards the Mexican coast, making landfall 40 mi (65 km) northwest of Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, at 12:00 UTC on October 12.

The mountains of western Mexico greatly disrupted Jova's circulation as it moved inland, causing the hurricane to rapidly degrade to a tropical storm within six hours of landfall.

[1] Flooding washed out a bridge and destroyed stretches of highways leading out of Manzanillo,[15] while strong winds damaged transmission cables and billboards across the city.