Hurricane Simon reached Category 4 strength on Saturday as part of an unusually active Pacific hurricane season. As of Sunday, the storm's eye was moving offshore of Jalisco state, according to the United States' National Hurricane Center (NHC). The NHC warned that Simon could produce additional rainfall totals of 20 to 41 centimetres (8 to 16 inches) over parts of southwestern Mexico, with precipitation as high as 76 centimetres (30 inches) possible in areas of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco through Monday.
Torrential rain has already battered residents between the Sierra Madre mountain range and the ocean, and communities in hilly areas have been warned to brace for mudslides. It is not clear whether the storm will make landfall, but the greatest risk of a direct hit lies at Cabo Corrientes, a town on a cape in Jalisco jutting into the Pacific.
Mexico's National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) placed 28 municipalities in Jalisco and Colima under its highest cyclone alert level, with another 93 municipalities under a high alert level, according to civil protection bulletins. Classes were suspended in affected areas, and evacuation efforts were under way. Businesses in tourist destinations such as Puerto Vallarta boarded up windows and placed sandbags at entrances.
President Sheinbaum wrote on social media platform X: "With the approaching impact of Category 4 Hurricane Simon, we urge residents of coastal municipalities in Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit and Michoacan to remain sheltered until authorities officially declare that the danger has passed." Jalisco Governor Pablo Navarro warned that the high-powered hurricane was creating hazardous conditions.