Hurricane Simon pounds holiday hotspot as 'life-threatening' warning issued

A massive hurricane hit the coastline of a popular tourist spot, as life-threatening effects are expected. The storm, named Hurricane Simon , pounded Mexico's coastline on Sunday, October 12. The centre of the Category 4 storm swirled parallel to the coast. It closed in on the Puerto Vallarta area - a popular tourist spot - where its most damaging winds and rain were expected to hit around midnight and continue through Monday morning. It is unclear if the hurricane will make landfall, according to the US National Hurricane Center, which could enable it to maintain its dangerous strength, sustaining winds of 140 mph (220 kph). By midday Sunday, the eye was moving within about 65 miles (100 kilometres) of Cabo Corrientes at about 7 mph (11 kph). Phillipe Pappin, a senior hurricane center specialist, said this westernmost tip of mainland Mexico is the area most likely to get a direct hit from the system. "We're expecting catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts along that west-central coast of Mexico where the hurricane warning is currently in effect," Pappin said. "They're also getting very heavy rainfall associated with the storm that's likely going to produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides in areas of higher terrain along the Mexican coastline, and there will be significant swells."