A ship of the Secretary of the Navy patrols near Puerto Madero beach as Hurricane Agatha barrels toward the southern coast of Mexico, in Tapachula municipality, in Chiapas state, Mexico, May 29, 2022.
A ship of the Secretary of the Navy patrols near Puerto Madero beach as Hurricane Agatha barrels toward the southern coast of Mexico, in Tapachula municipality, in Chiapas state, Mexico, May 29, 2022. Reuters / JESUS TORRES

Hurricane Agatha plowed ashore on Mexico's southern Pacific coast shortly before 4 p.m. local time Monday, lashing beach resorts in the state of Oaxaca with torrential rains.

A Category 2 storm and the first hurricane to form in the eastern Pacific this year, Agatha made landfall just west of the tourist town of Puerto Angel, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The storm was moving northeastward and blowing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (169 kph) when it made landfall, according to the NHC. It projected that the eye of the storm would arrive on land near the beach getaways of Puerto Escondido and Mazunte.

Authorities have set up 200 shelters along the coastal state of Oaxaca with capacity to shelter 26,000 people, local officials said.

A hurricane warning is in effect along around 215 miles (350 km) of coastline from the port of Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, the Miami, Florida-based NHC said.

Salina Cruz is the site of a major refinery run by state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).

Agatha is expected to dump 10 to 16 inches (25-41 cm) of rain on Oaxaca, and up to 20 inches in some areas, the NHC said, noting this could spark lethal flash flooding and mudslides.

Heavy rains are also expected to douse the state of Chiapas, as well as Veracruz, Tabasco and eastern parts of Guerrero.

Agatha should weaken quickly after hitting land and is expected to dissipate over southeastern Mexico by late Tuesday, the NHC said.