This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Rick taken at 11 p.m. EDT Saturday 17 Oct. 2009Hurricane Rick has become the strongest storm in the eastern north Pacific since Hurricane Linda in 1997.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the category-five hurricane now has sustained winds of 280 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts.

The storm is located more than 800 kilometers south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and is expected to remain offshore for several days.

Forecasters say Rick will remain an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next day or two, but is likely to weaken as it approaches the Baja California Peninsula.

Hurricane Center forecasters say the storm could cause potentially dangerous surf conditions along Mexico's southwestern coast during the next few days.

Hurricane Rick is the seventh hurricane of this year's eastern north Pacific season.