Hurricane Rick gains force off Mexico’s Pacific coast

PTI, Oct 24, 2021, 8:56 AM IST

Image credit: NOAA

Mexico City: Hurricane Rick gathered force Saturday off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and is forecast to hit reach land by Monday as a Category 3 storm.

The US National Hurricane Center said Rick may become a major hurricane with winds as high as 120 miles per hour (195 kph) before hitting land somewhere between the seaport of Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo.

The hurricane was located about 195 miles (315 kilometers) south of the coastal resort of Zihuatanejo. The storm had winds of 85 mph (135 kph), and was moving north-northwest at 7 mph (11 kph).

The center 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.

A hurricane warning was in effect for points west of Acapulco all along the coast to Punta San Telmo.