Hurricane Patricia is set to hit Mexico with horrific 200 miles per hour winds later today, October 23. The hurricane is being fueled by the atmospheric conditions and is set to be the strongest hurricane ever measured.
Weather forecasts read, at the moment, that the storm will hit land later today. Patricia’s path is set to go from Puerto Vallarta to Manzanillo and will potentially wipe out touristic areas as well as everything else she meets on her way.
It is not certain if whether the hurricane will weaken or strengthen before hitting land, but the storm is set to be at least a category five storm. Not only will the storm wreck whatever it passes, but it will include storm surge flooding, flooding rains and, of course, high winds.
The storm will be affecting areas as far away as Texas, where it is predicted that up to a foot of rain will fall next week.
At 8 AM ET Hurricane Patricia was measured to have a central pressure of 880 millibars or 25-99 inches. This means that the storm will be stronger than both Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988. Both set all-time records in intensity. This is caused by the storm having a very low air pressure, the lowest ever recorded for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans actually.
“Residents in low-lying areas near the coast in the hurricane warning area should evacuate immediately, since the storm surge could be catastrophic near and to the east of where the center makes landfall. Preparations to protect life and property in the hurricane warning area should have been completed, or rushed to completion, as tropical storm conditions are beginning to affect the area.” The National Hurricane Center warned.
Since Wednesday, October 21, when the storm was first recorded, it has developed from being a minimal tropical storm to being one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded. As global warming gets influences these effects on the weather. The reason the storm evolved as quickly as it did may be due to the warmth raising the intensity of the now strongest tropical hurricanes ever.
Image via Flickr/@NASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenter
