05 Oct 2014 Simon weakens but still major hurricane REPORTfrom Agence France-Presse Published on 05 Oct 2014 1 0 googleplus0 0 reddit0 0 10/05/2014 15:03 GMT MEXICO CITY, October 5, 2014 (AFP) - Simon weakened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday but remained a major hurricane as it headed toward a region recently hit by a powerful storm. The hurricane dropped from category four to three strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, blasting top winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center. Simon was 580 kilometers (360 miles) southwest of Punta Eugenia and was expected to rapidly lose steam before becoming a much weaker tropical depression when it reaches the Baja California peninsula later this week. A hurricane center tracking map shows Simon making landfall well north of the Los Cabos resorts that were pummeled last month by Hurricane Odile, which left six people dead. "We must prepare shelters, mobilize food supplies and prepare for the evacuation of people in high-risk areas," said Baja California Sur government secretary Andres Cordova. The hurricane was expected to produce up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) of rain across central Baja California and parts of Sonora state in northwestern Mexico. "This rainfall could cause flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC warned, adding that "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions were also likely. lth/nss © 1994-2014 Agence France-Presse

05 Oct 2014

Simon weakens but still major hurricane

REPORT

from Agence France-Presse

Published on 05 Oct 2014

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10/05/2014 15:03 GMT

MEXICO CITY, October 5, 2014 (AFP) - Simon weakened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday but remained a major hurricane as it headed toward a region recently hit by a powerful storm.

The hurricane dropped from category four to three strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, blasting top winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Simon was 580 kilometers (360 miles) southwest of Punta Eugenia and was expected to rapidly lose steam before becoming a much weaker tropical depression when it reaches the Baja California peninsula later this week.

A hurricane center tracking map shows Simon making landfall well north of the Los Cabos resorts that were pummeled last month by Hurricane Odile, which left six people dead.

"We must prepare shelters, mobilize food supplies and prepare for the evacuation of people in high-risk areas," said Baja California Sur government secretary Andres Cordova.

The hurricane was expected to produce up to 20 centimeters (eight inches) of rain across central Baja California and parts of Sonora state in northwestern Mexico.

"This rainfall could cause flash flooding and mudslides," the NHC warned, adding that "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions were also likely.

lth/nss

© 1994-2014 Agence France-Presse