Tropical storm Rick has strengthened to a hurricane off Mexico's southern Pacific coast and is forecast to make landfall by next week.
The US National Hurricane Center said Rick may become a major hurricane with winds as high as 185 km/h before hitting land somewhere between the seaport of Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo by Monday.
The hurricane was located about 380km south of the coastal resort of Zihuatanejo.
The storm had winds of 125 km/h and was moving north-northwest at 9 km/h.
The centre warned Rick could produce flash flooding and mudslides.
It was expected to hit along a stretch of coast west of Zihuatanejo that holds no resorts but includes two major seaports and mountainous terrain that in the past has been very vulnerable to flash flooding and mudslides.
Australian Associated Press
