1st hurricane of 2022, Agatha heads for Mexico tourist towns

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The first hurricane of the season has formed off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and it’s rapidly growing stronger ahead of an expected strike along a stretch of tourist beaches and fishing towns as a major storm. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Agatha could hit as a Category 3 hurricane Monday afternoon or evening in the area near Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel in the southern state of Oaxaca. That region includes the laid-back tourist resorts of Huatulco, Mazunte and Zipolite. In early evening Sunday, Agatha had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph) — just 1 mph below the threshold for Category 3. It was centered about 160 miles (255 kilometers) southwest of Puerto Angel and heading to the northeast at 5 mph (7 kph).