By Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Diego Oré MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Hurricane Erick strengthened rapidly into a major Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday as it churned toward Mexico's southern Pacific Coast,

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Erick is nearing Mexico's Pacific coast on a forecast track to make landfall along the country's southern states.

Forming in October, Otis grew stronger by churning up deeper and warmer water because it was later in the year. Erick is early in the year and the deep water it would churn up is cooler and doesn’t fuel rapid intensification. Even so, the surface water is plenty hot enough, said MIT hurricane scientist Kerry Emanuel.