Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful hurricane ever measured, made landfall along the Pacific coast of Mexico Friday evening and continues to move inland.
Hurricane Patricia made landfall at 6:15 p.m. CDT near Cuixmala in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were 165 mph (270 kph), making Patricia the strongest landfalling hurricane ever recorded on Mexico's Pacific coastline.
Patricia's winds peaked at 200 mph (325 kph) earlier Friday, and the central pressure bottomed out at 879 millibars (25.96 inches). These are the strongest winds and lowest central pressure ever recorded in a Western Hemisphere tropical cyclone.
A weather station near Cuixmala, Mexico reported sustained winds to 185 mph and wind gusts to 211 mph before going offline. This quality of this data has yet to be determined and the wind speeds should not be considered official.
(MORE: Hurricane Patricia Maps, Forecast | State of Emergency in Mexico | Dr. Jeff Masters: Patricia "Mind-Boggling")
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Hurricane Patricia (PHOTOS)
