Strongest Hurricane Ever Recorded: Hurricane Patricia to Hit Mexico

With 200 mph winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center described Hurricane Patricia as the “strongest hurricane on record” in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Basins.

Patricia was expected to hit shore on Mexico’s Pacific coast between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET Friday. Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were directly in the Category 5 storm’s projected path.

Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines in 2013, made landfall with 190 mph winds. Patricia is poised to surpass that record.

At 10 a.m. ET, Patricia was about 125 miles southwest of Manzanillo, and about 195 miles south of Cabo Corrientes.

Up to 20 inches of rain was predicted for the Mexican states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero through Saturday, the NHC said.

Hurricane Patricia Tracking and Projected Path

Here is the satellite image of the eye of Hurricane Patricia released by NASA: #Patricia the strongest eastern north Pacific hurricane on record and heading for landfall

#Patricia the strongest eastern north Pacific hurricane on record and heading for landfall https://t.co/xlqVx4rFwX pic.twitter.com/h7aMscWXdU

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) October 23, 2015