Hurricane Erick has strengthened into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm, as it heads towards Mexico’s Pacific coast, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.
Maximum sustained winds in the storm had risen to 230km/h (145mph) late on Wednesday local time, with some additional strengthening possible.
Forecasters expect it to make landfall later on Thursday with the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero state most likely to be impacted by what the NHC says could be “devastating wind damage”.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told people in the storm’s path to “stay tuned to official communications, to stay indoors, and not go out”. (BBC)
