Hurricane Erick has strengthened to a powerful Category 3 storm as it barrels down on Mexico’s Pacific coast, the United States National Hurricane Centre said today.

Now a major hurricane, Erick is expected to bring “potentially destructive winds and life-threatening flash floods to portions of southern Mexico” later today and tomorrow (NZT), it said.

Erick was moving northwest at a speed of nearly 15km/h with maximum sustained winds approaching 195km/h and higher gusts.

The hurricane is expected to strengthen before making landfall, bringing with it storm surges, coastal flooding and destructive waves.

Earlier today Erick was 165km from the town of Puerto Angel in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, and at that stage was packing maximum sustained winds of 155km/h, the meteorological centre said.

It had strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane after reaching Category 1 last night NZT.

Forecasters warned of intense rainfall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, bringing “life-threatening flooding and mudslides”.

Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in Chiapas state.

President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to avoid going out and advised those living in low-lying areas or near rivers to move to shelters.

In Acapulco, a major port and resort famous for its nightlife, police with bullhorns walked along the beach and drove around town warning residents and holidaymakers of the storm’s arrival.

Some shops boarded up their windows and operators of tourist boats brought their vessels ashore.

Laura Velazquez, national co-ordinator of civil protection, said the Government was using the preventive patrols and social media to warn people.

Around 2000 temporary shelters have been set up in Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca, and hundreds of troops and electricity workers have been deployed to help in any clean-up effort.

Local authorities have suspended classes and closed ports along the coast, including the port of Acapulco, to shipping.

Mexico sees major storms every year, usually between May and November, on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

In October 2023, Acapulco was pummelled by Hurricane Otis, a powerful Category 5 storm that killed at least 50 people.

John, a Category 3 storm that hit last September, caused about 15 deaths.

-Agence France-Presse