History’s Strongest Hurricane Is Barreling Towards Mexico
Patricia's Eyewall NOAA/NASA To reach Category 5, a hurricane must have sustained wind speeds of over 157 mphs. Right now, in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Patricia is powering through at about 200mph. It’s likely the strongest hurricane on the record, and a gigantic storm to boot. The National Weather Service is warning that Patricia is “potentially catastrophic.” Here’s what that storm looks like: Patricia is expected to make landfall in Mexico later today, between Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta. Already three Mexican states have declared a state of emergency. As the storm has approached land, it’s continued to intensify, and by all metrics is an incredibly strong storm. Writing for Slate, Eric Holthaus notes “Patricia is now very close to the theoretical maximum strength for a tropical cyclone on planet Earth.” The storm is strongest...