MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Hurricane Rick moved toward Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday (Oct 23) and was expected to gain strength, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

As of 1500 GMT (11pm Singapore time), Rick was 300km south-west of Acapulco and moving at 11kmh with sustained winds of 130kmh.

"Rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Rick is expected to become a major hurricane on Sunday" as it approaches the coast of Mexico, the NHC said.

Mexican meteorologists forecast intense rains in the south and south-east of the country on Saturday.

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 Aug 21.

In late August, two people went missing after Hurricane Nora hit the Pacific coast state of Jalisco, and on Sept 13 Hurricane Pamela caused minor damage in the north-west state of Sinaloa.