Strongest ever hurricane Patricia hits Mexico

[Meatpie]

Follow our live updates in the next 24 hours as Mexico faces the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history.

The strongest El Nino on record has given birth to the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Northern hemisphere with sustained winds of 200 mph (325 km/h) with gusts of 400 km/h.

Eceptionally favorable environmental conditions fueled explosive intensification on October 22. Patricia grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours. The rate of intensification was greater than any other Pacific hurricane on record in the satellite-era.

Major loss of life and devastation expected in a large swath of the Mexican Pacific coast, including the tourist hot spots of Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.

Strom surge of 10 m or higher expected in Manzanillo.

There have been a record number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes this year, with 22 in the Northern Hemisphere alone.

Satellite view from a few minutes ago just after sunrise on October 23, 2015.

 

[Meatpie]

Panic spreads

Panic is spreading in coastal regions as all major news websites in Mexico warn of "catastrophe" and disaster worse than Katrina.

Meanwhile relatives and friends of people currently situated in the direct path of hurricane Patrica have been posting messages on facebook and twitter giving them advice to seek immediate shelter inland.

Hurricane shelter in San Mateo.

Photos have been posted online showing a shelter in Mexico...with glass windows and thin walls which clearly will not withstand a category 5 hurricane.

People in the region are in shock with just a few hours left until Patrica makes landfall.

 

[Meatpie]

Population likely to be affected by the storm

More than 7.3 million people live in Jalisco state, and more than 255,000 in Puerto Vallarta municipality, according to Mexico's 2010 census. There are more than 650,000 in the nearby Colima state, and more than 161,000 in Manzanillo, all who will be affected to some degree by the storm.

 

[Meatpie]

Stormchasers in the area

[SUB]Morgerman, left, with fellow storm chaser Erik Sereno Trabaldo on Oct. 22.

Stormchasers in the area want to film the hurricane but admitted they also fear becoming dead guys. The winds are strong enough to lift cars in the air so with little time to evacuate most are looking to hide in cement and steel-reinforced buildings.

You an follow their experience on their facebook iCyclone page:

https://www.facebook.com/iCyclone
[/SUB]

 

[ArrowMan]

Sounds really worrisome and potentially TERRIBLE !

​

 

[Meatpie]

The whole world will know about Patrcia tomorrow as it becomes major news story.

After Mexico the storm will head for Texas bringing risk of more floods in the area.

 

[Starrider]

Those stormchasers look like guys who would be perfectly cute "dead".

Expecting to see lots of cute dead guys over the next few days

 

[Meatpie]

A quick look at what we know so far:

• Astonishing 100 millibar drop in air pressure in a 24-hour period is virtually unheard of in the scientific community. Even hurricane experts are astounded as computer models failed to predict the he sheer ferocity of the storm.

• Millions of people currently in coastal areas with no time to evacuate.

• Ocean water is abnormally warm due to unprecedented El Nino event which helps fuel the storms even further.

• Ocean temperature recorded below the storm is 31 degrees Celsius, or 88 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ocean water temperature anomally.

 

[Meatpie]

In photos: Mexico prepares for hurricane Patricia

Man walks his dog near a beach in Mexico early morning on October 23, 2015.

Men board up a building as fast as they can to proect property from wind and the expected 10 m storm surge.

Long queues formed in supermarkets as residents began stocking up on food and other essential supplies.

Authorities sent out extra police to warn the population of the impending disaster.

In some areas shops remained closed on Friday.

 

[Meatpie]

More pics

 

[sharma]

Thats amazing

 

[OuTBreaK]

Wow awesome

 

[Meatpie]

Hurricane Patricia's Effect on the United States

Forecasters say remnants of Patricia should drift north into Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas by early next week.

Flash flood watches were already in effect Friday for a huge chunk of the Lone Star State from a separate storm system, with 3 to 6 inches of rain expected to fall Friday into Saturday.

 

[Meatpie]

Patricia from the International Space Station

 

[Meatpie]

All flights suspended at Puerto Vallarta's airport.

 

[feettartar]

Calm down now, people - I'm sure your gov't will ASSURE you that this has absolutely NOTHING to do with that pesky 'global warming' thing!
And besides that, don't worry - if millions of you get displaced, why then you too can flee over the open border into the US, where you will be welcomed with
open arms, given new homes, jobs, and unlimited welfare to pay for anything your heart may desire!

 

[deaddirty]

The BBC at lunchtime (that's 7 hours ago here) siad it had developed into a huge Category 5 storm, but it looked as if it was going to track along the west coast of Mexico - guess it's changed course since.
I think it's been a relatively quiet season for Atlantic hurricanes - but the North Atlantic is unusually cool this year whereas the Pacific is very wam.
Good luck to all Mexican and southern US members!

 

[Meatpie]

Coverage on the BBC was quite lame tonight, CNN are much faster with the updates and have more media and interesting links.

 

[Meatpie]

The storm will make landfall most likely within the next hour as a Category 5 hurricane making it the most dangerous storm in history.

The outerbands are already hitting coastal areas.

Meanwhile some historical perspective comparing the strongest hurricanes almost everyone has heard of:

 

[Meatpie]

People in Mexico can't believe they are going to die from this as they are alive and well now but in a few hours thousands will be corpses.

The wind is so strong trees will be debarked.

Costal towns in direct path will be erased.

Even concrete and steel buildings will be severely damaged or destroyed.