Hurricane Simon batters Mexico's Pacific Coast

Hurricane Simon lashed vulnerable resorts and towns along Mexico's Pacific Coast on Sunday as it moved parallel to the shoreline, despite weakening to a category 3 storm.

"Additional weakening is forecast but Simon is still expected to be a strong hurricane as it passes near the coast of west-central Mexico tonight," the US National Hurricane Center's advisory said.

Simon is expected to move farther offshore on Monday before turning back towards Mexico's coast on Wednesday, it said.

Mexican authorities have placed 28 municipalities across the states of Jalisco and Colima under the highest cyclone alert level. Another 93 municipalities were under high ‌alert, according to civil protection bulletins.

The hurricane's center closed in on the Puerto Vallarta area, where its most damaging winds and rains were expected to hit around midnight and continue through Monday morning. Puerto Vallarta is a popular tourist destination in Jalisco. Apart from the resorts, several Mexicans live in communities inland and uphill, in houses that may not be able to weather the storm.

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Experts believe the entire area between Mexico's western coast and the Sierra Madre mountains could be affected.

"We're expecting catastrophic wind and life-threatening storm surge impacts along that west-central coast of Mexico where the hurricane warning is currently in effect," senior hurricane center specialist, Philippe Papin said.