Hurricane John Makes Landfall on Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Hurricane John made landfall in western Mexico late Monday after rapidly intensifying into a Category 3 storm, bringing heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding and landslides to the country’s Pacific coast.

The storm’s effects on Monday were felt from the central coast of Oaxaca to Acapulco, a resort city in the neighboring state of Guerrero, which was devastated last October when Hurricane Otis defied forecasts and quickly transformed from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane.

Key things to know about the storm.

• The storm has intensified rapidly. John grew in strength from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane on Monday, packing winds of around 120 miles per hour as it made landfall. A portion of Mexico’s coastline is currently under a hurricane warning, meaning hurricane conditions are expected within 12 to 24 hours, NOAA said.

• Residents should get ready for heavy rains. Forecasters are also predicting six to 12 inches of rain through Thursday, and up to 30 inches in isolated areas along the coastline. Heavy rains could cause catastrophic flash flooding and mudslides in Oaxaca, along with the Mexican states of Chiapas and Guerrero. Other regions could see as much as 12 inches of rain through Thursday that could cause life-threatening flood risks, especially near the coast.

On Monday, as the waves gradually began to swell on the beaches of Puerto Escondido, a famous tourist town in Oaxaca state, Carlos Jorge Ponce and other tour guides went out to bring dozens of boats ashore.

“It’s something we have been through before, and all that remains is to wait for the storm to pass,” said Mr. Ponce, 47. “There is a little nervousness.”

John’s constant rains had already generated some landslides, slowing traffic on a recently inaugurated highway.