Rick churns toward Mexico as major storm in Pacific

Hurricane Rick is seen about 290 mi (467 km) south of Acapulco, Mexico in this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite image taken at 1500 GMT on October 16.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hurricane Rick churned up Mexico's Pacific coast as a top Category 5 storm on Sunday and looked set to hit resorts on the Baja California peninsula by mid-week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

A Category 5 storm ranks at the top of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale and can cause catastrophic damage.

"Interests in southern Baja California and the southwest coast of Mexico should monitor the progress of this extremely dangerous hurricane," the center said in a statement.

Rick could lose some strength over the next few days but will remain very dangerous, the center said.

Rick, the seventh hurricane of the eastern north Pacific season, was about 500 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of near 175 mph with higher gusts.

The center projected the hurricane turning toward the Mexican coast on Tuesday, slamming into Baja California on Wednesday morning and then heading into the mainland.

Pacific storms pose no threat to Mexico's large oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, but the Baja California peninsula is popular with U.S. tourists for its resorts in the Los Cabos area.

(Reporting by Robin Emmott, Editing by Sandra Maler)