MIAMI — Hurricane Simon was headed toward part of Mexico’s Pacific coast Friday and forecast to get much stronger. U.S. forecasters issued a hurricane warning for parts of the central and southwest coast, where hurricane-force winds were expected within 36 hours. Simon had maximum sustained winds of 145 km/h (90 m.p.h.) early Friday and was moving northwest at 7 km/h (5 m.p.h.), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The Category 1 hurricane was forecast to turn to the north by early Saturday and approach the coast. Simon was expected to intensify rapidly and become a Category 4 storm before landfall. Category 4 hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson scale have maximum sustained winds of 210-250 km/h (130-156 m.p.h.). Simon was centred about 355 kilometres (220 miles) south of Manzanillo and 525 kilometres (325 miles) south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes. Tropical storm conditions were possible along the coast later Friday. Simon was expected to produce torrential rainfall that could cause flooding and mudslides. U.S. forecasters said 20 to 38 centimetres (8 to 15 inches) of rain could fall in southwestern Mexico, with isolated areas getting up to 63 centimetres (25 inches). Farther north, Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to reach Baja California, northwestern Mexico and Southern California this weekend. It had 95 km/h (60 m.p.h.) winds and was forecast to weaken, though it may bring heavy rain to the area. Tropical storm activity has been above average this season in the Pacific, due to the effects of a strong El Niño. The climate phenomenon typically depresses storm activity in the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaias, which was expected to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday or Saturday, developed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season. The Associated Press
