Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified over the last 24 hours, growing into a powerful Category 4 storm but weakening slightly before making landfall.

Powerful Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca early Thursday, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Erick rapidly intensified from a 40 mph tropical storm on June 17 into a Category 4 hurricane by midnight on June 19. Six hours later, Erick made landfall in extreme western Oaxaca state east of Punta Maldonado as a Category 3 with 125 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center.