| Tourists wait outside of their hotel to be taken to temporary shelters in Cancun, Mexico |
Authorities are evacuating beach resorts in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula as Hurricane Emily churns toward the area with winds of 240 kilometers per hour.
Officials say thousands of people have left the area, while the tens of thousands that remain are being moved to temporary shelters.
Mexico's state oil company is evacuating some 15,000 non-essential workers from offshore oil rigs.
At last report, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Emily was about 400 kilometers east-southeast of Cozumel, a popular tourist spot.
The Mexican government has extended its hurricane warning to the entire Yucatan peninsula.
Authorities in Belize have issued a tropical storm warning for that country's coastal area.
Forecasters expect Emily to reach Yucatan late today or early Monday.