Six Mexican states are on high alert as Hurricane Marie strengthens, with warnings that torrential rain could trigger mudslides and cause rivers to break their banks.
Marie, the eighth hurricane of the eastern Pacific season, was packing maximum sustained winds of 165km/h - increasing it to a Category Two storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale - according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC).
The centre said the storm was continuing to gain strength, and cautioned it would likely become a major hurricane by Monday.
The NHC said portions of Mexico's southwestern coast are already seeing powerful waves as a result of Marie, and the impact was likely to spread toward the southern Baja California peninsula and the Gulf of California as the storm strengthens and moves to the northwest.
"These swells are likely to cause extremely dangerous life-threatening surf and rip current conditions," the forecasters warned.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
In Mexico, the national weather service said heavy rains threatened the states of Michoacan, Colima, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Jalisco and Nayarit.
It urged the millions of people living in those states to "exercise caution" and to stay tuned for updates.
