Track Cat 5 Hurricane Patricia as It Nears Mexico

Hurricane Patricia — “Extremely Dangerous” Category 5 Hurricane — Is the Strongest Storm Ever Recorded.

Esri is providing a continuously updated hurricane map that shows the projected paths, storm surge, weather warnings and precipitation of Hurricane Patricia, the “strongest hurricane ever recorded.” In addition, the real-time effects of the storm can be seen via social media posts. The website, Hurricanes & Cyclones, is part of the Esri Disaster Response Program.

Hurricane Patricia became the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere on Friday morning as its maximum sustained winds reached an unprecedented 200 mph (320 kph).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is offering updates through its National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Hurricane Patricia is heading toward Mexico’s west coast, and is expected to make landfall near Puerto Vallarta. “Confidence is high that Patricia will make landfall in the hurricane warning area along the coast of Mexico as an extremely dangerous category 5 hurricane this afternoon or evening,” according to a Friday morning forecast discussion from the National Hurricane Center.

It will then cause massive rainfall in Texas after it hits landfall. “The global models continue to depict the development of a cyclone near the Texas coast over the weekend. This system should be non-tropical in nature. However, this cyclone is expected to draw significant amounts of moisture from Patricia’s remnants, and could result in locally heavy rainfall over portions of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico coastal area within the next few days,” according to the NHC discussion.