Pacific season’s first hurricane aims at Mexico tourist zone

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Bands of rain and gusty winds lashed Mexico's southern Pacific coast Monday as the first hurricane of the eastern Pacific season, advanced slowly toward a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns.

Ominous grey skies and blowing sand cleared beaches in the popular destinations of Puerto Escondido and Huatulco.

National emergency officials said they had assembled a task force of more than 9,300 people for the area and more than 200 shelters were opened as forecasters warned of dangerous storm surge and flooding from heavy rains.

After forming on Sunday, Agatha quickly gained power, and it was predicted to make landfall as a strong Category 2 hurricane Monday afternoon or evening, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Late Monday morning, Agatha accelerated slightly, as it moved toward the area near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel in the southern state of Oaxaca.

The region includes the laid-back tourist resorts of Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite.

The hurricane centre said Agatha could “bring an extremely dangerous storm surge and life-threatening winds.”

Agatha had maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour — just one mph under the threshold for a Category 3, the hurricane centre said.

The storm's centre was about 50 miles southwest of Puerto Angel and heading to the northeast at eight mph.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.