Patricia grows into major hurricane threatening Mexico

Fast-moving Patricia grew into an "extremely dangerous" major hurricane off Mexico's Pacific coast on Thursday, forecasters said, warning of possible landslides and flash flooding.

 The US National Hurricane Center said "preparations should be rushed to completion" as Patricia increased ominously from a category two to a category four storm in the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale.

 Packing maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometers (130 miles) per hour, the hurricane was expected to strike the coast on Friday afternoon or evening, the Miami-based center said.

 Forecasts show that Patricia could make landfall in the western state of Jalisco, near the border with Colima state.

 The center said its "hurricane hunter" aircraft found that Patricia had become an "extremely dangerous" hurricane.

 Emergency services personnel were being moved from other states to the threatened region, said Mexico's National Water Commission director Roberto de la Parra. 

"It is moving much faster than hurricanes we have had in the past," de la Parra told a news conference.

 Mexican officials closed schools in Colima and Guerrero state.

 Two dams in Jalisco and Michoacan were being drained to prevent flooding while residents were advised to protect their windows with large tape in the form of a cross.

 The region includes the major port of Manzanillo, Colima state, and the tourist resort of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco.

 At 1800 GMT, Patricia was 445 kilometers south of Manzanillo and 385 miles southwest of the port of Lazaro Cardenas, according to the US hurricane center.

 The storm was moving west-northwest at 28 kilometers per hour.

 Patricia is expected to produce six to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rainfall accumulations over the states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero, which could produce flash floods and mudslides, the US center said.

 The storm surge could also produce coastal flooding, accompanied by "large and destructive waves," it warned.

 The Mexican National Water Commission warned that rivers could rise and roads could be affected by the bad weather.