MEXICO CITY, Oct 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Hurricane Rick gained strength as it
advanced toward Mexico's Pacific coast Saturday and risked becoming a major
hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center said.

  At 0000 GMT on Saturday, Rick was located 265 km (165 miles) from
Zihuatanejo and 305 km from Acapulco, both towns in the state of Guerrero in
southern Mexico, and was moving at a speed of 8 km/h, according to the NHC.

  "Rick is forecast to be at or near major hurricane strength when it reaches
the coast of southern Mexico by Sunday night or Monday, and life-threatening
storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds are expected," the center
said in a statement.

  Mexico is hit regularly by violent weather on both its Pacific and
Caribbean coasts.

  The strongest storm this year so far was Hurricane Grace, which killed 11
people in the states of Veracruz and Puebla on August 21.

  In late August, two people went missing after Hurricane Nora hit the
Pacific coast state of Jalisco.

  On September 13, Hurricane Pamela caused minor damage in the northwest
state of Sinaloa.