Mexico issues red alert as Hurricane John barrels toward southern coast

Mexico's top disaster agency issued a red alert for parts of the country's southern Pacific coast on Monday, after Hurricane John rapidly strengthened to a Category 2 storm and threatened to get stronger before making landfall in the coming hours.

The national Civil Protection agency issued its most serious warning for coastal regions of Mexico's southern Guerrero and Oaxaca states, warning residents to seek shelter until authorities give the all-clear.

The agency said the storm's current path put it on track to make landfall between Copala, Guerrero, and Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca, between 9 p.m. (0300 GMT) and 1 a.m. local time.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of imminent flooding, storm surges, and hurricane-force winds as the storm loomed just about  48 km (30 miles) from Guerrero's Punta Maldonado early on Monday evening, blowing maximum sustained winds of 170 kph (105 mph).

U.S. oil producers were scrambling on Monday to evacuate staff from Gulf of Mexico oil production platforms.

The storm was likely to intensify before making landfall late on Monday or early Tuesday, the Miami-based hurricane center said in a statement.

"John could become a major hurricane before making landfall along the coast of southern Mexico," the NHC said.

In the typically laid-back surfer getaway of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, residents on Monday hurried to tow in boats and put away beach chairs.

"We're very concerned," said restaurant-owner Paula Sanchez, who said hurricanes in the area had become stronger in recent years.

"Let's hope that God will divert (this storm)," Sanchez added.

Education officials announced school closures in parts of Oaxaca and Guerrero as the storm approached, and Mexico's state power firm CFE said it was moving worker convoys to Oaxaca ahead of John's arrival.

A hurricane warning is in place for areas from the famous beach resort of Acapulco, which is still recovering from last year's Hurricane Otis, as far east as the Oaxacan tourist hub of Huatulco.

A tropical storm warning stretched east of Huatulco to the major port of Salina Cruz, home of Mexican state-run oil company Pemex's PEMX.UL largest domestic refinery.

NHC warned that heavy rainfall from John may cause "significant and possibly catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides," that will affect the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and southeast Guerrero through Thursday.