MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Rick strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast yesterday and forecasters said it could strike the Baja California Peninsula next week.
The storm had sustained winds of 160 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami reported, though it said the storm was likely to lose some of that punch before hitting land.
Forecasters said Rick was projected to stay well off the coast for several days before bending east over cooler waters and hitting the Baja California Peninsula, perhaps as a Category 2 hurricane, sometime Wednesday.
Authorities in the resort of Acapulco closed the port to small craft after Rick kicked up heavy waves and gusts of wind.
"There are waves of 7 to 8 feet, and gusts of wind," said Victor Cruz Lopez, the watch officer at the port captain's office.
Meteorologist Jessica Schauer told The Associated Press that warm waters fueled Rick's rapid jump from Category 1 just two days ago.
"Right now it's over very warm water and the current forecast track keeps it over warm water for quite awhile," she said.
Rick was forecast to pass near Socorro Island, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Cabo San Lucas, on Tuesday. The island is a nature reserve with a small Mexican Navy post and it hosts scuba-diving expeditions in winter months.
Acapulco's Civil Protection Department had warned that rains from the outer bands of the storm could cause landslides and flooding in the resort city, but no such effects were reported Saturday.
