2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season
Hurricane Patricia 2015
Patricia intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in about a day. It weakened sharply before striking Jalisco, but still brought destructive winds to Mexico's Pacific coast.
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213 mph
Oct 23, 2015 during the tropical stage
Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present
Along the recorded center positions
STORM HISTORY
Explosive intensification south of Mexico
Patricia developed from a broad disturbance near the Gulf of Tehuantepec on October 20. Initial strengthening was modest, but exceptionally favorable conditions triggered rapid growth on October 22. A compact eye formed within intense thunderstorms as winds increased at an extraordinary rate.
The archive records sustained winds of 185 knots and a central pressure of 872 millibars on October 23. This exceptionally strong offshore peak was followed by rapid weakening during the final approach to Mexico.
A weaker but destructive landfall
Patricia came ashore near Cuixmala, Jalisco, late on October 23. The archive records 130-knot winds at landfall, substantially below the peak earlier that day. Winds tore roofs from buildings and stripped coastal vegetation in the predominantly rural landfall area.
Mexico's mountains quickly broke down the hurricane, and the tropical circulation dissipated on October 24. Agriculture and infrastructure accounted for much of the damage in Mexico. Moisture from the remnants also contributed to flooding in southern Texas.
IMPACT
Reported impact
| Areas affected | Mexico |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata.
Further reading
NOAA IBTrACS v04r01 historical track archive
Official report (PDF) — National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report.
QUICK ANSWERS
Patricia in brief
What was Hurricane Patricia's highest wind speed?
213 mph, the highest one-minute sustained wind in its tropical stage, recorded on Oct 23, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
What category was Hurricane Patricia?
Category 5 at its peak on the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale, first reaching Category 5 on Oct 23, 2015, 12:00 AM UTC. Other agencies classify storms differently.
What was Hurricane Patricia's lowest pressure?
872 mb, the minimum central pressure recorded during its tropical stage, on Oct 23, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
When did Hurricane Patricia occur?
The archived track runs from Oct 20, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC to Oct 24, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC, with the tropical stage from Oct 20, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC to Oct 24, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC.
Where did Hurricane Patricia form?
In the Eastern Pacific basin, in the 2015 season. Its first archived position is 13.4°N, 94°W on Oct 20, 2015, 06:00 AM UTC.
Did Hurricane Patricia make landfall?
The archive places its center over land at 1 recorded position; the strongest is 150 mph on Oct 23, 2015, 11:00 PM UTC. Positions are six-hourly, so this is not a landfall chronology.
METHODOLOGY
Data sources and limitations
The map and summary are generated from NOAA's IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive's pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth's 1:10m land data.
Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm's center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.
Archive retrieved
NOAA IBTrACS archive and Field documentation
Sources & methodology