Mexico City ? Hurricane John’s outer bands lashed Mexico’s western coast Tuesday night as the powerful Category 3 storm threatened to cause flooding and ruin vacations in some Pacific resorts.

John became the sixth Pacific hurricane of the season earlier in the day and quickly grew in strength with maximum sustained winds reaching 115 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it likely would grow even stronger.

However, it was not expected to make a direct hit on land or affect the United States. Long-term predictions had it moving to the northwest, parallel to the coastline, with its outer winds lashing the resorts of Acapulco, Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.

John could cause landslides and flooding before heading out to sea, the hurricane center said.