The National Hurricane Center raised Simon to a hurricane with 80-knot winds and said it should approach Mexico's west-central coast as a major hurricane on Saturday.
Hurricane Simon strengthened overnight and was a hurricane by Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in Discussion 8 at 3 a.m. CST. The center put maximum sustained winds at 80 knots, about 90 mph, up from tropical-storm strength a day earlier, with a minimum pressure of 978 millibars.
At 0900 UTC the center was near 15.8 north, 104.5 west, moving northwest at 4 knots. The discussion said a microwave image showed a small banding eye and that rapid intensification appeared to be under way, citing a small inner core, low shear and warm water. The forecast calls for 100 knots by Friday afternoon and 120 knots by Saturday morning.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita. The center said Simon is expected to approach the west-central coast of Mexico as a major hurricane on Saturday, and that preparations should be finished by late Friday. An inland position is forecast for Sunday afternoon.
Heavy rain is expected across southwestern Mexico through the weekend, with a risk of flooding and mudslides in steep terrain. Swells are forecast along the southwestern and west-central coast.
This is a forecast update, not a landfall report. The earlier advisory that still listed Simon as a tropical storm is superseded by Friday morning's hurricane classification.
People Sentiments Negative
- The National Hurricane Center said life-threatening wind and storm-surge impacts are expected along part of Mexico's west-central coast.