Hurricane warning issued for portion of Mexican coast as Tropical Storm Barbara approaches

OAXACA, Mexico – Tropical Storm Barbara picked up speed Wednesday and steamed toward a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's southern Pacific coast, with forecasters predicting it would still reach hurricane strength before hitting land later in the day.

Officials in the southern coastal state of Oaxaca rushed to prepare emergency shelters and suspended classes for school children in coastal communities as rain began to lash the coast.

Barbara was located about 40 (64 kms) miles off shore and was moving northeast toward land at about 13 mph (20 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

"We still anticipate that Barbara will become a hurricane in a few hours," the hurricane center reported.

The stretch of coast east of the port city of Salina Cruz where Barbara would make landfall is a largely undeveloped stretch of coastal lagoons, punctuated by small fishing villages. The major oil port of Coatzacoalcos is located on the other side of the narrow waist of Mexico known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. But the center said the storm should weaken rapidly once it hits land, well before reaching Coatzacoalcos.

Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the Pacific coast from Puerto Angel to Barra de Tonala.

Barbara's maximum sustained winds held at around 65 mph (100 kph), about 9 mph short of hurricane strength.

Oaxaca state Civil Defense Director Manuel Maza Sanchez said ports had been closed to navigation in tourist resorts of Puerto Angel, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, all located more than 120 miles (200 kms) to the west.

Rain had begun to fall along the coast Wednesday, flooding some homes, he said.

Maza Sanchez said classes would be cancelled at schools along the coast for the rest of the week, and that storm shelters were being set up in 20 towns and hamlets.

Such shelters are frequently installed at local schools.