Mexican president urges residents to shelter as Hurricane Simon approaches

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urges residents to shelter as Hurricane Simon approaches.

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has urged residents along the Pacific Ocean to stay indoors as Hurricane Simon's powerful winds and heavy rains pound coastal communities.

The Mexican community of Cabo Corrientes faces the risk of a direct hit as the Category 4 storm churns off Jalisco. As of Sunday, the hurricane's eye was moving offshore of Mexico's Jalisco state, with winds of at least 240km/h (150mph).

Torrential rain has already battered residents living between the Sierra Madre mountain range and the ocean. Communities in hilly and mountainous areas have been warned to brace for mudslides.

Simon reached Category 4 strength, on a scale of five, on Saturday, as part of an unusually active Pacific hurricane season. The United States' National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Simon could produce 'additional rainfall totals of 8 to 16 inches (20 to 41 cm) over portions of southwestern Mexico'.

Precipitation totals as high as 76 cm (30 inches) were possible in areas of Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco until Monday. Mexico's National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) placed 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under its highest cyclone alert level, while another 93 municipalities were under a high alert level.

Classes were suspended in the affected areas, and efforts to evacuate residents were under way. Businesses in popular tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta boarded up windows and placed sandbags at entrances as the storm approached.

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