Hurricane Patricia’s landfall between 5, 6 'Most dangerous storm in history' will land between Playa Pérula and Bahía de Chamela

Hurricane Patricia’s landfall between 5, 6

'Most dangerous storm in history' will land between Playa Pérula and Bahía de Chamela

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Mexico News Daily | Friday, October 23, 2015

UPDATES TO THIS STORY:

• Oct. 24, 1:40pm CDT: Only minor damage reported after Patricia
• Oct. 23, 7:55pm CDT: Patricia touches land near Melaque, Jalisco

Hurricane Patricia, described as the “most dangerous storm in history,” will make landfall between 5:00 and 6:00 this afternoon, likely about 90 kilometers west-northwest of the city and port of Manzanillo, Colima, between Playa Pérula and Bahía de Chamela, says the National Water Commission, or Conagua.

The storm’s description by water commission chief Roberto Ramírez de la Parra came after the National Meteorological Service (SMN) determined that it was the first time in history that a hurricane’s sustained wind speeds have reached 325 km/h.

Patricia is the strongest hurricane on record for the U.S. National Hurricane Center’s (NHC’s) area of responsibility, which includes the Atlantic and eastern north Pacific basins.

“We consider it to be an extremely dangerous and extremely powerful hurricane,” said Ramírez, and one that could prove catastrophic.

Along with exceptionally strong sustained winds, Patricia is producing gusts up to 400 km/h, said Conagua via Twitter at 1:50 CDT this afternoon.

The NHC said in its 4:00pm bulletin that a reconnaissance flight by a Hurricane Hunter aircraft found a slight weakening in the past few hours, with maximum sustained winds having dropped to 305 km/h from 325. But the storm, an NHC forecaster said, remains extremely dangerous.

Patricia was situated about 95 kilometers west of Manzanillo and moving towards the north-northeast at 22 km/h.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for Punta San Telmo, Michoacán, to San Blas, Nayarit, and a hurricane watch for east of Punta San Telmo to Lázaro Cárdenas.

Electrical service has been suspended in a number of areas as a precautionary measure. Among them are the Bay of Banderas, the municipalities of Colima, Tecomán and Manzanillo.

The Federal Police announced that highways in Colima would be closed as of 3:00pm CDT.

In Puerto Vallarta, authorities had evacuated 10,000 tourists by 6:00 this morning, while two commercial flights were due to transport visitors to Mexico City at no charge.

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