MEXICO CITY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Simon is forecast to rapidly strengthen into a major hurricane before striking Mexico's Pacific coast this weekend, threatening destructive winds, life-threatening flooding and dangerous storm surge, the US National Hurricane Center said on Thursday.
Simon was about 245 miles (395 km) south of Manzanillo at midday, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph), the Miami-based center said. It was moving west at 5 mph and is expected to turn northward on Friday, approaching southwestern and west-central Mexico late on Saturday.
The hurricane center said Simon was likely to become a hurricane later on Thursday and intensify into a "very dangerous" Category 4 hurricane before reaching the coast.
A hurricane watch was in effect from the port city of Manzanillo to vacation hotspot Punta Mita.
Forecasters warned Simon could dump 8 to 15 inches (20 to 38 cm) of rain across parts of southwestern Mexico through Sunday, with isolated totals of up to 25 inches (64 cm) possible in the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco. The rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas.
A dangerous storm surge was also possible near and east of where the storm's center makes landfall, the center said, with large and destructive waves expected along the coast. Swells generated by Simon were forecast to create hazardous surf and rip current conditions over the coming days.
Private forecaster AccuWeather said Simon could make landfall in western Mexico on Sunday with wind gusts of 120 to 130 mph (193 to 209 kph) near the point of impact and storm surge of up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) in the worst-hit areas. It said some of the same regions affected by Hurricane Polo late last month were now facing another tropical threat.
AccuWeather also said tropical moisture from Simon could spread into the US Southwest next week, bringing 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of rain to parts of New Mexico, eastern Arizona, southern Colorado and western Texas, with higher totals possible in southern New Mexico.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry; editing by David Gaffen)
