🌀 Patricia · Category 5 · 215 mph

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 · 6:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Hurricane Patricia was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record worldwide in terms of maximum sustained winds. It was also the second-most intense on record worldwide in terms of pressure, with a minimum atmospheric pressure of 872 mbar (25.75 inHg), just behind Typhoon Tip's 870 mbar (25.69 inHg). Originating from a sprawling disturbance near the Gulf of Tehuantepec, south of Mexico, in mid-October 2015, Patricia was first classified as a tropical depression on October 20. Initial development was slow, with only modest strengthening within the first day of its classification. The system later became a tropical storm and was named Patricia, the twenty-fourth named storm of the 2015 Pacific hurricane season. Exceptionally favorable environmental conditions fueled explosive intensification on October 22. A well-defined eye developed within an intense central dense overcast and Patricia grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours—a near-record pace. On October 23, the hurricane achieved its record peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 215 mph (345 km/h). This made it the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Western Hemisphere and the strongest globally in terms of one-minute maximum sustained winds. Category 5 hurricane: peak winds of 215 mph (185 knots), lowest pressure 872 mb. October 20 – October 24, 2015. Landfall: October 23 at 150 mph, 19.4°N 105.0°W. Accumulated cyclone energy: 17.3. Wiki link Track: NOAA National Hurricane Center, HURDAT2 best track EP202015 (public domain).

🌀 Patricia · Category 5 · 215 mph