MEXICO CITY -  Hurricane Erick strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, cautioning that further strengthening could occur before landfall.

The hurricane was located 145 km southeast of Punta Maldonado Mexico packing maximum sustained winds 230 km per hour.

Erick is expected to bring potentially destructive winds and life-threatening flash flooding to parts of southern Mexico tonight and Thursday, the center said in a report.

"A hurricane hunter aircraft reports that Erick is a major hurricane," the NHC said in its latest update at 6 pm CST (2300 GMT).

Erick will be the first hurricane to make landfall in Mexico this hurricane season, which runs from May to November. Forecasters predict an above-average active season, with between eight and 11 hurricanes, and four to six of those reaching major hurricane status.

Scientists have warned that Erick could become the most intense hurricane to make landfall along Mexico's Pacific coast this early in the season.

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With maximum sustained winds of 195 kph, Erick was located 90 km from the tourist enclave of Puerto Angel, where a hurricane warning is in effect and westward to the resort city of Acapulco.

A Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale has maximum sustained winds between 181 and 210 kph and is considered extremely dangerous and capable of causing devastating damage.

Emergency preparations

Up to about 41 cm of rain is expected to hit the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, according to NHC.

Both states have begun emergency planning and taken preventive actions with local authorities. Over 18,000 first responders have been deployed and over 500 temporary shelters have been activated, according to authorities.

Mexican authorities are also coordinating evacuation and care efforts for tourists in popular beach destinations, including Acapulco, which is still hurting from Hurricane Otis' devastation, opens new tab in October 2023.

Acapulco's international airport announced on its X account that all flights scheduled for Thursday had been suspended.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum urged residents to stay indoors and move to shelters if they are in flood-prone areas.

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Mexico's national water commission, Conagua, warned rainfall in coastal areas could trigger landslides and flooding, with waves reaching up to 6 meters high.