MAZATLAN, Mexico (AP) — The Latest on Hurricane Willa (all times local):
1:20 P.M.
Mexican emergency officials say they've evacuated more than 4,250 people in towns along the Pacific coast that are threatened by Hurricane Willa.
Civil defense director Luis Felipe Puente said at a televised news conference that 58 shelters had been set up for evacuees, although most of them took refuge with friends and relatives. Hotel occupancy across the entire potentially affected area was 40 percent.
The western states of Sinaloa, Jalisco, Colima and Nayarit are expected to be most affected by Willa, which officials said would likely hit in the evening.
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12:45 p.m.
Officials in the state of Nayarit along Mexico's Pacific coast have ordered all shops and businesses in six municipalities closed ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Willa.
The state government's Facebook page on Tuesday says all commercial activity there must close. The fire department asked citizens to stay home, away from windows and keep calm.
Part of the hurricane warning area is in Nayarit. Willa has weakened from Category 5 strength to Category 3. But it's still threatening to cause widespread damage when it hits later Tuesday.
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
