Hurricane Simon intensifies into category 4 storm near Mexico

Hurricane Simon intensified into a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico’s pacific coast on Saturday, raising fears of destructive winds, storm surges and potentially deadly flooding as it approached land.The US National hurricane center (NHC) said Simon was located about 115 miles (185 km) south-southwest of Manzanillo on Saturday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph), as it moved northwards.The storm was forecast to approach Mexico’s west-central coast as a major hurricane late on Saturday or early Sunday. Further strengthening remained possible before landfall, the NHC said.A hurricane warning was in force along parts of Mexico’s Pacific coast south of the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta, including the area around Manzanillo, the country’s largest Pacific port. A tropical storm watch was also issued for areas farther south towards Lazaro Cardenas.The NHC urged residents in the warning zone, which includes the offshore Islas Marias archipelago, to complete preparations quickly to protect lives and property.“Simon has strengthened incredibly quickly, and that’s what makes storms like this so dangerous,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.He warned that powerful winds could damage homes and businesses, while flooding and mudslides could destroy roads and hamper emergency crews’ access to affected communities. Power outages and damaged infrastructure could also complicate recovery efforts after the storm passes.Mexican authorities warned of heavy rainfall across the states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco.According to the NHC, Simon was expected to dump 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 cm) of rain across parts of southwestern Mexico through Sunday. Isolated rainfall totals of up to 30 inches (76 cm) were possible in some areas of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco, raising the risk of life-threatening floods and mudslides, particularly in mountainous regions.The hurricane was also expected to generate a storm surge along coastal areas near and east of its landfall location, accompanied by large, destructive waves, the NHC said.Swells generated by Simon were forecast to affect parts of Mexico’s southwestern and west-central coastline over the next few days, creating hazardous surf and rip currents, according to the Reuters.The NHC forecast that Simon would be near or just inland of Mexico’s west-central Pacific coast on Sunday.Last week, Hurricane Polo struck the Baja California Peninsula as a Category 2 storm, toppling trees and utility poles, flooding streets and causing other property damage.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.