Hurricane approaches Mexican Pacific beach

MEXICO CITY: The first hurricane of the East Pacific season on Monday barreled towards a string of beach resorts in southwest Mexico, where authorities opened shelters for thousands of people in its projected path.

At 1500 GMT, Hurricane Agatha was located 80-km southwest of Puerto Angel in Oaxaca state, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The Category 2 hurricane -- the second weakest on a scale of five -- was expected to make landfall on Monday afternoon or evening and rapidly weaken as it moves inland, forecasters predicted.

Residents along the coast stocked up on food and water and took measures to protect their homes and businesses. A hurricane warning was in effect for a stretch of coastline including Puerto Escondido and other surf towns popular with national and foreign tourists.