MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Hurricane Erick, now an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, was located very near Mexico's southern Pacific coast and is expected make landfall on Thursday, authorities said.

Erick became an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane early Thursday, as it crossed the Pacific Ocean en route to western Mexican two days after becoming a named storm.

Hurricane Erick powered up into a Category 3 major hurricane Wednesday evening as it bore down on the southern Mexico coast, threatening to unleash destructive winds, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge on the region in coming hours,