The sixteenth tropical depression and thirteenth named storm of the 2023 Pacific hurricane season, Max originated from a trough that developed to the southwest of Central America on October 3, 2023.

Max progressed northward toward the coast of Mexico and quickly strengthened; the storm made landfall near Puerto Vicente, Guerrero at 18:00 UTC on October 9 just below hurricane strength.

[4] The convective (shower and thunderstorm) activity associated with the disturbance initially remained limited and disorganized;[5] however, the system began to become more organized on October 6 amid favorable environmental conditions just southwest of the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

[6] The disturbance continued to become better organized and develop more convective activity over the following day, although it still lacked curvature in its rainbands and a well-defined center;[7][8] despite this, due to the impending threat it posed to the Mexican coastline, the system was designated a potential tropical cyclone at 3:00 UTC on October 8 and given the designation Sixteen-E.[9] Sixteen-E continued to develop a more organized, cyclonic structure throughout October 8 as it moved slowly northwest, between a ridge to its northeast, over the Gulf of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Lidia to its west.

[10] Max continued to move northward and strengthen as it neared the Mexican coastline, over warm sea surface temperatures of 86 °F (30 °C) while wind shear over the system decreased.

[1] Max achieved peak intensity as a strong tropical storm at 18:00 UTC on October 9, with maximum sustained winds of 115 km/h (70 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 29.23 inHg (990 mbar).

[15] In-person classes were cancelled across Guerrero ahead of the cyclone's landfall, as well as in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco due to the dual threat of Max and the more powerful and northerly-tracking Hurricane Lidia.

[17] Torrential rainfall, damage to houses, road closures, landslides, fence collapses, fallen trees and poles, and overflowing rivers were all reported across several coastal municipalities.

[1] Max created dangerous swells and rip currents across the Mexican coast, affecting the tropical storm warning area from Acapulco to Lázaro Cárdenas.