Hurricane Hilary has quickly grown to Category 4 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast and could deliver heavy rain to the southwestern United States on the weekend.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hilary had sustained winds near 225 kilometres per hour and was expected to continue its swift intensification Friday morning.

Hilary’s projected trajectory threatens landfall on the central Baja California peninsula by Sunday or it may stay offshore and instead head for Southern California.

Hilary should start weakening Saturday.

The hurricane center says there is the possibility that Hilary could still be a tropical storm or tropical depression by the time it reaches the U.S.