On Tuesday 20 October 2015 a couple of tropical waves off the Pacific coast of Central America, a region that has seen continued disturbed weather activity for several months now, started to get better organized showing signs of potential further development. I was aware of these systems while I was following Hurricane OLAF in the Central Pacific to the southeast of Hawaii.
![Infrared satellite image [NASA] of Hurricane PATRICIA in the early morning hours of this Friday 23 October 2015 as it aimed for the Pacific coastal region of central Mexico](https://i0.wp.com/mitigat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1023at0730irPATRICIA.jpg?resize=640%2C640)
Infrared satellite image [NASA] of Hurricane PATRICIA in the early morning hours of this Friday 23 October 2015 as it aimed for the Pacific coastal region of central Mexico

Map showing a region of rather warm sea surface temperatures where hurricane PATRICIA continues to move toward the coast of Mexico
During the night to early morning hours from Wednesday into Thursday the 22nd PATRICIA reached hurricane strength and turned further northeast toward the coast of central Mexico from Manzanillo to Puerto Vallarta. Intensity predictions continued to be for a mid category 2 tropical cyclone.

Color-enhanced infrared satellite image (NOAA) of 23 October showing hurricane OLAF in the central pacific and monstrous category 5 hurricane PATRICIA approaching landfall in Mexico
Something happened during the night hours from Thursday into Friday the 23rd that propelled PATRICIA through a process of rapid, and unprecedented, intensification to a rather strong, even monstrous, category 5 hurricane.

Projected track of hurricane PATRICIA (courtesy of the U.S. Navy research Laboratory) showing potential landfall in the region from Manzanillo to Puerto Vallarta
As of mid-morning this Friday 23 October PATRICIA is generating sustained maximum winds of 325 kph (~ 202 mph) gusting to 386 kph and still strengthening. Analysis of current data indicates the hurricane may reach winds of 335-340 kph gusting to near 400 kph before landfall on the central Pacific coast of Mexico, some time this afternoon.
All indications are that PATRICIA may still be a category 5 storm when it makes landfall, only the second category 5 hurricane to do so since records have been kept. Storm surge, extremely high waves, extreme rainfall in addition to very strong winds will batter the coastal region generating flash flooding and mudslides.
PATRICIA is so large of a system, at more than 1000 kilometers in diameter, that is already interacting with atmospheric systems over Texas and the southern plains of the U.S.A. where copious amounts f rain and potential flooding are expected today.
![Full Earth disk satellite image [NASA] of 23 October 2015 showing Hurricane PATRICIA near the pacific coast of Mexico](https://i0.wp.com/mitigat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FULLDISK1023at0500PATRICIAandOLAFpacific.jpg?resize=496%2C451)
Full Earth disk satellite image [NASA] of 23 October 2015 showing Hurricane PATRICIA near the pacific coast of Mexico
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