Hurricane Patricia, strongest recorded hurricane with 200-mph winds

[Legends66NBA7]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/23/americ...cane-patricia/

(CNN)With 200-mph sustained winds and even more powerful gusts, Hurricane Patricia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded by the U.S. National Hurricane Center as it bore down Friday on Mexico's Pacific coast.

The Miami-based meteorological center, in its 8 a.m. advisory, warned of a "potentially catastrophic landfall in southwestern Mexico" later Friday. While its strength could fluctuate, "Patricia is expected to remain an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane through landfall."

Patricia has potential to cause massive death and destruction to a large swath of the Mexican Pacific coast, including the tourist hot spots of Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.

Citing observations by hurricane hunters, Patricia is "the strongest hurricane on record in the National Hurricane Center's area of responsibility (AOR) which includes the Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific basins," according to a Friday morning forecast discussion.

The closest contender, at this point, might be Hurricane Camille when it battered the U.S. Gulf Coast in 1969. Regardless, Patricia looks to be more powerful than Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Katrina in 2005 and many others.

It's already surpassed them in one way, central pressure -- which essentially weighs the air above a system that's a key measure of any storm's strength.

The early Friday central pressure recording of 880 millibars (the barometric pressure equivalent is 25.98 inches) "is the lowest for any tropical cyclone globally for over 30 years," according to the Met Office, Britain's weather service.

Patricia's intensity is comparable to Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013, the World Meteorological Organization tweeted. More than 6,000 people died in Haiyan, due largely to enormous storm surges that rushed through coastal areas. Haiyan had 195-mph sustained winds when it made landfall, while Typhoon Tip was at 190 mph (and had a slightly lower pressure reading of 870 millibars) in 1979.

Whether or not Patricia measures up to those Asian typhoons when it slams Mexico, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said, "This is the only hurricane that's ever been this powerful."

[KevinNYC]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/23/americ...cane-patricia/

This thing is really scary. Sandy began as a very late storm too. Strong El Nino year with a ton of heat in the Pacific Ocean.

It really intensified recently.

Mexico seems like it will get slammed and the several US states will get drenched when it weakens.

[KevinNYC]

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/Jef...?entrynum=3165

At 2:46 am EDT October 23, 2015 an Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft measured a central pressure of 880 mb in Patricia, [COLOR="Blue"]making it the most intense hurricane ever observed in the Western Hemisphere.The aircraft measured surface winds of 200 mph, which are the highest reliably-measured surface winds on record for a tropical cyclone, anywhere on the Earth.[/COLOR] The previous strongest Eastern Pacific hurricane was Hurricane Linda of 1997, with a pressure of 902 mb (estimated from satellite imagery.) The strongest Atlantic hurricane on record was Hurricane Wilma of 2005, with an 882 mb central pressure. Patricia does not beat the record-lowest pressure in the Western Pacific, though, which is held by Super Typhoon Tip of 1979: 870 mb.

...........
Patricia the fastest-intensifying Western Hemisphere hurricane on record
Patricia's central pressure dropped an astonishing 100 mb in 24 hours, making it the fastest-intensifying hurricane ever observed in the Western Hemisphere. Patricia's pressure at 5 am EDT Thursday, October 22, 2015 was 980 mb, and was 880 mb at 5 am EDT Friday. The previous record was a drop of 97 mb in 24 hours for Hurricane Wilma of 2005

[Raymone]

even stronger than Katrina

[KevinNYC]

even stronger than Katrina

Katrina was at 920 mB when it hit the US. This at currently at 880

Katrina was much, much larger in area though. So was Sandy.

[catch24]

Are Mexicans gonna ride this out? I'm watching local news, and they're saying most people near Puerto Vallarta will probably evacuate. Crazy.

[Raymone]

Live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_GShxXtLx4

[Draz]

Wouldn't be surprised if I see some Mexican kid getting blown into my backyard

[9erempiree]

I am honestly hoping Mexico will be ok.

These hurricanes today are not a joke.

[KyrieTheFuture]

This is not gonna be good.

[KevinNYC]

At 6:15 p.m. CDT, the eye of Hurricane Patricia made landfall near Cuixmala in Jalisco state of southwest Mexico. Maximum sustained winds at landfall were estimated at 165 mph.

[9erempiree]

That live stream looks crazy.

[Trollsmasher]

[KyrieTheFuture]

So that wind has gotta be able to just pick you up off the ground and toss you right?

[ArbitraryWater]

https://twitter.com/kissmymistakes/s...06723176640512

All the TV Stations asking her if they're allowed to show it