Hurricane Rick swiftly strengthened Friday off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 100 mph (160 kph), and forecasters warned it could soon become a major hurricane.
Rick, a Category 2 hurricane, was centered about 260 miles (415 kilometers) south-southwest of Acapulco on Friday night, and was moving west-northwest near 10 mph (17 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Hurricane Specialist John Cangialosi said Rick could become a Category 3 storm sometime Saturday. The storm posed no immediate threat to land, although its course could bring it closer to the Baja California peninsula by mid-next week.
"Rick has been strengthening; it's a pretty powerful hurricane already," Cangialosi said. "The only place that has to be worried is Baja peninsula."
Acapulco's Civil Protection Department issued a warning that rains are expected and could trigger landslides and flooding in the resort city.
