Hurricane Agatha was strengthening in Mexico's peaceful waters on Sunday, moving toward the country's southwest coast, where it could become a Category 3 cyclone, according to forecasts from the Mexican National Meteorological Service (SMN).

Several hours earlier, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States had classified Agatha category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale which has 5 gradations.

At 4:00 p.m. local time (21:00 GMT), Agatha had climbed to category 2 and was 295 km southwest of Puerto Angel in Mexico, with winds reaching 175 km / h, while advancing northeast at the speed of 4 km/h, according to a latest report from the NHC.

High sea temperatures of over 31 degrees off the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero states in southern Mexico and slow movement could push Agatha up to Category 3, with winds ranging from up to 200 km / h, estimated Alejandra Méndez, an official of the SMN.

"The hurricane is expected to likely make landfall in Category 3 between Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, Oaxaca," said the expert, who expects the impact to occur Monday afternoon.

The NHC also estimated that Agatha "will make landfall on Monday."

The hurricane will cause heavy rains in areas of Chiapas and Oaxaca states (south) and areas of neighboring Guerrero and Tabasco states (southeast), the SMN said.

It will also reinforce the entry of humidity from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, causing heavy rains in the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Veracruz and Yucatan, located on the east coast of the country.

“Rainfall could cause landslides, increased river levels as well as flooding,” the SMN warned.

Mexico is hit by tropical cyclones on its Pacific and Atlantic coasts every year, usually between May and November.