Powerful Hurricane Erick has made landfall in Mexico's western state of Oaxaca. That is according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. Early Thursday, the hurricane's centre was located about 30 kilometres east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 125 mph (205 kph). It was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph), the hurricane centre said. The storm was downgraded slightly before making landfall, from a powerful Category 4 to a Category 3. While slightly reduced in power, Erick is still considered a major hurricane as a Category 3, which can carry winds of up to 129 mph (210 kph). The storm center is expected to move inland over southern Mexico throughout the day with winds that could be especially destructive near its core, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a report.

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