Hurricane Simon: Forecast predicts further strengthening as it heads toward Mexico's Pacific coast

On Friday, Hurricane Simon headed toward a section of Mexico's Pacific coast and was projected to strengthen significantly imperiling the shoreline of Jalisco and the popular tourist destination of Puerto Vallarta.

According to US forecasters, hurricane warnings were issued for parts of the central and southwest coast where hurricane winds were expected within 36 hours. The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said that the Category 1 hurricane had a maximum wind velocity of 150 kph early Friday and was moving northwest at 7kph.

Tropical storm conditions were viable along the coast by Friday while Simon was centered about 345 kilometers south of Manzanillo and 515 kilometers southeast of Cabo Corrientes.

Given the situation, the state of Jalisco halted classes on Friday and Monday in 22 coastal municipalities and began evacuating dozens of people from vulnerable areas.

The US Embassy also published advisories warning against entering the beach and urging travelers to heed local authority instructions. While the climate phenomenon typically depresses tropical depression in the Atlantic Hurricane Isaias which was set to hit the US Gulf Coast late Friday or Saturday developing far past the usual or expected time of year.