Hurricane Rick gains force off Mexico’s Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Rick gathered force off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and is forecast to hit that coast by Monday as a near-Category 3 storm. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Rick may be a near-major hurricane with winds as high as 115 miles per hour (185 kph) before hitting land somewhere around the seaport of Lazaro Cardenas and the coastal resort of Zihuatanejo. On Saturday, the hurricane was located about 165 miles (265 kilometers) south-southwest of Zihuatanejo. The storm had winds of 85 mph (140 kph), and was moving north-northwest at 5 miles per hour (8 kph). The center warned Rick could produce flash flooding and mudslides.