The sixth named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Fernand developed from a broad area of low pressure that was first monitored in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on August 31.

Early on August 31, 2019, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a broad area of low pressure located over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico for tropical cyclogenesis.

Although the disturbance still lacked a well-defined center by the following morning, the continued trend of organization and the system's threat to northeastern Mexico resulted in the issuance of advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone Seven at 09:00 UTC September 3.

[4] Fernand continued to quickly strengthen as it moved westward, and by 03:00 UTC on September 4, it attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h), as evidenced by an NOAA Hurricane hunter aircraft investigating the system.

Although the cyclone was forecast to strengthen further before reaching the Mexican coast, the effects of moderate easterly to southeasterly wind shear and the entrainment of dry air into the storm's circulation prevented further intensification.

[citation needed] Fernand produced torrential rainfall across much of northeastern Mexico, including the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí.

In some parts of Nuevo León, six months-worth of rain fell within just six hours, causing rivers and streams to overflow their banks as floodwaters inundated roads, bridges, homes and, buildings.