Hurricane Erick barrels up Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Erick barreled up the western coast of Mexico Saturday, bringing with it the danger of flash floods and landslides, forecasters said. As of 1800 GMT, Erick packed winds of 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour as it moved to the northwest along the Mexican coastline about 85 miles (140 kilometers) south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The storm ambled up the Pacific coast at about nine miles (15 kilometers) per hour, the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said. A hurricane watch was in effect from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes, with tropical storm warnings for areas further west. "Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area tonight and Sunday," the NHC said in its latest bulletin. "Tropical storm conditions are likely to spread westward across the Mexican coast in the warned area today through Sunday," it added. The storm was expected to weaken on Sunday without making landfall as it approached the southern California Baja peninsula. Mexica's national weather service has recommended the coastal population of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco get ready for torrential rains, powerful waves, flooding, landslides and strong winds. The storm could drop up to eight inches of rainfall in some spots, the NHC warned, saying "these rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides."