Over a 21-hour period from October 22 to 23, 2015, Hurricane Patricia strengthened from a Category one to a Category five storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale, breaking a number of meteorological records along the way prior to slamming into the southwestern coast of Mexico near Cuixmala. Hurricane Patricia’s maximum sustained winds of 200 mi/h (325 km/h) were the strongest ever recorded for a tropical cyclone. In terms of strength as measured by barometric pressure, at 879 millibars (25.96 inches Hg) Hurricane Patricia became the most powerful tropical cyclone observed in the Western Hemisphere. Twenty hours following landfall, Hurricane Patricia dissipated—a fairly rapid reduction in strength caused by the mountains in its path after landfall. The reported loss of life and damage from the storm were relatively low, particularly in comparison with its early peak in ferocity. See also: Cyclone; Hurricane; Pacific Ocean; Tropical meteorology; Wind

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), conditions of warm sea-surface temperatures caused by the 2015 El Niño and the warm “blob” extending from the Bering Sea to the Pacific Coast of Mexico as well as little wind shear or dry air to disrupt the storm were responsible for its rapid strengthening. See also: El Niño; Warm blob in the Pacific Ocean

Cumulative wind history of Hurricane Patricia. The Forecast/Advisory wind radii represent the maximum possible extent of a given wind speed within particular quadrants around the tropical cyclone. As a result, not all locations falling within the orange or red swaths experienced sustained tropical storm or hurricane force winds, respectively. (NOAA)