Category 4 Hurricane Simon nears Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Simon was about 95 kilometres west of Manzanillo at 12:00 UTC on October 11, with maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometres per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Advisory 16A kept Simon at Category 4. It was moving north-northwest at around nine kilometres per hour. Its centre could approach or move inland over west-central Mexico later on Sunday.

A hurricane warning covered Punta San Telmo to El Roblito and the Islas Marias. Isolated additional rainfall totals of up to 30 inches, about 76 centimetres, were forecast in parts of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco through Monday.

Forecasters warned of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly on steep terrain. Dangerous storm surge and destructive waves were also expected near the coast. Some weakening of the winds would not remove those hazards.