Hurricane Patricia
Position: 20.2N 104.6W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northeast [020°] near 20 mph [31 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 130 mph [215 kph].
Wind Gusts: 160 mph [255 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 946 mb ↑.
Currently about 50 miles [ 75 km] Southeast of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
After almost 4 hours inland the wind speed has reduced to Category 4 level at 10PM.
At 6:15PM CDT [2315 UTC] the storm made landfall near Cuixmala, Mexico with sustained winds of 165 mph [270 kph] and a pressure of 920 mb.
This is the strongest hurricane to affect the Western Hemisphere, replacing Hurricane Wilma [2005] as the lowest measured pressure 879 mb, and with 200 mph constant winds. The readings were directly taken by Hurricane Hunter aircraft. This is like a huge EF-5 tornado.
At 4PM CDT the storm is losing a little strength while speeding up, which is better news than remaining unchanged. At 7PM the weakening continues.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for San Blas to Punta San Telmo.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for East of Punta San Telmo to Lazaro Cardenas and North of San Blas to El Roblito.
Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.
[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]
4 comments
… and coastal and other South Texans can expect possible coastal and flash floods from tomorrow morning through Monday morning, even after the wind has dropped to mere tropical depression level. Houstonians are not bracing for a hurricane, but they are surely going through the drill to protect their possessions from floods. The problem is, it’s going to flood, but we just don’t know where geographically or how deep.
DFW has been under water most of the day from another system, the moisture from this one is going to add to the problems for East Texas as the two systems merge.
The rain is almost stopped here just off what is clearly the best part of Brays Bayou; Our House made it through with no damage. Other folks, even others along selected parts of Brays Bayou, experienced floods… we didn’t even see our lawns topped or patios covered with water. It surely was a tense 48 hours, though; I guess it always is, whether or not you end up under the water.
I’m looking at the radar centered on New Orleans and it doesn’t look like the low is moving very quickly. It is the end of a stationary front. I looks like the heaviest rain may be over Louisiana, but it raining from Peniscola over to West of Houston this afternoon.