MEXICO, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government on Sunday issued an alert covering six Pacific coast states over Hurricane Rick, which, now a category five storm on the five-notch Saffir-Simpson Scale, brings heavy rains and high winds to the area.

    Rick threatens the coastal states of Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa, the state-run National Meteorological Service (SMN) said in a statement, estimating that the last hurricane stronger than Rick was Hurricane Linda in 1997.

    The rest of Mexico is suffering the impact of Cold Front No. 6,which brings a mix of heavy rain and crashing temperatures to most of the nation.

    The storm is heading west-northwest and will turn north-northwest within hours, the statement added. Rick is likely to cross the Baja California Peninsula in northwest Mexico early on Wednesday.

    The SMN warned of heavy seas, high winds, and dangerous tides on the western Mexico coast during the next 24 to 48 hours.