U.S. forecasters say Hurricane John, off Mexico's Pacific coast, has intensified and now has winds exceeding 210 kilometers an hour.
Heavy rains and wind are threatening coastal resorts Wednesday, as the storm moves northwest, still over the ocean just off the coast.
Although the storm remains over water, its edges are expected to bring as much as 31 centimeters of rain to the mountainous coastal area, possibly triggering flash floods and mudslides, and storm surge flooding of up to one and a half meters.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Lazaro Cardenas to La Fortuna, meaning hurricane conditions are expected in the area within the next 24 hours. A hurricane watch is in effect for some 650 kilometers of the coastline, from Tecpan de Galeana to Cabo Corrientes.
John is the sixth hurricane of this year's Pacific season.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.