Hurricane Simon remained a powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday as it tracked parallel to Mexico's Pacific coast, with current forecasts indicating it will bypass a direct landfall while still posing a serious threat to coastal communities through torrential rain and huge waves.
According to the latest forecasts, the storm will maintain a path approximately 15 kilometres off the coast of Jalisco state. Fabian Vazquez, director of Mexico's meteorological service, warned that coastal areas should prepare for exceptionally heavy rainfall, high winds and waves reaching up to nine metres.
Slow movement raises flood risk
With sustained winds recorded at 230 kilometres per hour, the hurricane is moving at only about 11 kilometres per hour. Boris Comi, a meteorologist with the Jalisco civil protection agency, noted that the storm's near-stationary movement increases the danger by prolonging the duration of heavy rainfall over the same areas — raising the risk of flash flooding and landslides, particularly in steep coastal terrain.
In the tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta, residents and business owners have boarded up windows and braced for potential impacts. Military personnel have been deployed to monitor the waterfront, and emergency shelters have been established.
Evacuations under way
The Mexican Navy conducted evacuations on Saturday, transporting approximately 100 people by boat from vulnerable coastal communities to Puerto Vallarta. While many evacuees are staying with relatives, others have sought refuge in the city's five designated shelters, which were already housing nearly 100 individuals by the weekend.
The Pacific hurricane season has seen heightened activity this year, a trend experts attribute to the El Nino ocean warming phenomenon, which reduces wind shear and allows storms to gain significant strength.
Sources:
Hurricane Simon tracks along Mexican coast as authorities warn of severe weather — Times Now World
According to the latest forecasts, the storm will maintain a path approximately 15 kilometres off the coast of Jalisco state. Fabian Vazquez, director of Mexico's meteorological service, warned that coastal areas should prepare for exceptionally heavy rainfall, high winds and waves reaching up to nine metres.
Slow movement raises flood risk
With sustained winds recorded at 230 kilometres per hour, the hurricane is moving at only about 11 kilometres per hour. Boris Comi, a meteorologist with the Jalisco civil protection agency, noted that the storm's near-stationary movement increases the danger by prolonging the duration of heavy rainfall over the same areas — raising the risk of flash flooding and landslides, particularly in steep coastal terrain.
In the tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta, residents and business owners have boarded up windows and braced for potential impacts. Military personnel have been deployed to monitor the waterfront, and emergency shelters have been established.
Evacuations under way
The Mexican Navy conducted evacuations on Saturday, transporting approximately 100 people by boat from vulnerable coastal communities to Puerto Vallarta. While many evacuees are staying with relatives, others have sought refuge in the city's five designated shelters, which were already housing nearly 100 individuals by the weekend.
The Pacific hurricane season has seen heightened activity this year, a trend experts attribute to the El Nino ocean warming phenomenon, which reduces wind shear and allows storms to gain significant strength.
Sources:
Hurricane Simon tracks along Mexican coast as authorities warn of severe weather — Times Now World
