An “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Erick is approaching Mexico’s Pacific shoreline, currently classified as a powerful Category 4 storm, according to official reports. The hurricane is situated approximately 85 kilometers southeast of Punta Maldonado in Guerrero State and is anticipated to make landfall on Thursday.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that Erick is producing sustained winds reaching up to 220 km/h. “Hurricane conditions are expected to begin within the warning zones in the coming hours, with particularly devastating winds near the storm’s center,” the agency said early Thursday.
Authorities have issued a hurricane warning for the stretch of coastline between Acapulco and Puerto Angel, as the precise landfall location remains uncertain.
According to Mexico’s Ministry of Environment, Erick is forecast to strike Thursday morning as a major Category 4 hurricane somewhere between Lagunas de Chacahua in Oaxaca and Punta Maldonado in Guerrero.
Meteorologists caution that Erick could become the strongest hurricane to strike Mexico’s Pacific coast this early in the hurricane season.