Hurricane Simon quickly intensifies off Mexico’s Pacific coast

Oct 9 (Reuters) – Hurricane Simon is rapidly intensifying off Mexico’s Pacific coast with maximum sustained winds already near 90 mph (150 kph), the US National Hurricane Center said on Friday.

Simon is forecast to become a dangerous Category 4 hurricane by Saturday as it nears the popular tourist coast of south-western and west-central Mexico, NHC added.

A hurricane warning is in effect from Punta San Telmo, in the state of Michoacan, to vacation hotspot Punta Mita, in Nayarit.

“Rapid intensification is expected to continue, and Simon is expected to be a very dangerous major hurricane when it approaches the coast of Mexico,” the Miami-based center said.

In addition to its destructive winds, Simon may also bring life-threatening flooding and mudslides, forecasters said.

Mexican authorities warned heavy rainfall was expected in the states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Jalisco and Colima, and urged residents to remain on alert.

Private forecaster AccuWeather expects Simon to make landfall on Mexico’s southwestern coast early on Sunday with heavy rainfall of 18 to 24 inches (46 to 61 cm) potentially affecting the coastal areas of Jalisco and Colima.

Simon was about 220 miles (355 km) south of Manzanillo early on Friday and moving northwest, according to NHC.

(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez in Barcelona; editing by Philippa Fletcher)