‘Extremely dangerous’: Hurricane Patricia ravages Mexico

Patricia, a Category 5 storm, has made a landfall on Mexico’s Pacific Coast with sustained wind speeds reaching 380 km per hour. Thousands of people have been evacuated as life-threatening flooding and mud-slides are feared along the hurricane’s path.

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service has downgraded Hurricane Patricia to a Category 1. The storm is currently centered about 80 km south-southwest of the state of Zacatecas.

Hurricane Patricia has weakened to become a category 2 storm, Mexico’s National Meteorological Service has stated.

05:15 GMT
Mexico’s National Meteorological Service has downgraded the center of Hurricane Patricia to category 4 as it continues towards the towns of Talpa de Allende, Ayutla, Chicken Coop, Atengo and Mixtlán in Jalisco.

03:42 GMT
 This footage shows the latest destruction wreaked by Hurricane Patricia as it whirled its way through the coastal town of Barra de Navidad.

Animación GIF del Huracán #Patricia desde que tocó tierra hasta ahora . pic.twitter.com/g9KxVTUa1m

— Webcams de México (@webcamsdemexico) October 24, 2015

Woke up in the night #Patricia update w latest view from @space_station Thoughts continue for all below #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/MYmYLA3uPw

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 24, 2015

03:07 GMT
With Patricia having moved inland, the coastal threat is decreasing, according to the Miami-based center. A forecast for strong and damaging winds as well as very heavy rainfall remains, which could lead to “Life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in the Mexican states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero through Saturday,” the center said.

03:01 GMT
A hurricane warning is still in effect for the Pacific coast of Mexico from San Blas to Punta San Telmo. However, the NHC forecast predicts that Patricia will become a tropical storm by Saturday morning.