(CNN)Hurricane Willa is nearing the Pacific coast of Mexico as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm, after experiencing what the National Hurricane Center called "explosive" strengthening over the past 48 hours.
Willa's maximum sustained winds dipped slightly to 155 mph Monday evening. On Monday morning, they were 160 mph, making Willa a top-of-the-scale hurricane. Its current intensity is about the same as Hurricane Michael's when it made landfall in Florida's Panhandle less than two weeks ago.
The storm has supercharged at an incredible rate since it formed over the weekend. From Sunday morning to Monday morning, Hurricane Willa strengthened 80 mph in 24 hours, and went from forming into a tropical storm on Saturday morning to a Category 5 in less than 48 hours.
Watch Hurricane Michael's 155 mph winds 01:18
The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center calls for Willa to weaken some before landfall on Tuesday, but the storm is still expected to be a dangerous major hurricane.
Willa is located about 135 miles south-southwest of Islas Marias, an archipelago off central Mexico's Pacific coast. The hurricane is moving north at 8 mph and is forecast to move "over or very near" the Islas Marias early Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Landfall on mainland Mexico is expected Tuesday afternoon or evening.
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