Hurricane Erick has intensified into a Category 3 major hurricane threatening approaching southern Mexico’s coast with destructive winds and heavy rain, the U.S. Hurricane Center said Wednesday evening.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico (AP) — Erick has been upgraded to an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane near Southern Mexico’s Pacific coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Having doubled in strength in less than a day and still expected to grow further, Hurricane Erick on Wednesday chugged through the ideal environment to power up quickly as it approached Mexico's southern Pacific Coast.