1am CDT Friday best track data: 880mb; 200mph; Likely strongest ever recorded in Western Hem.
Posted by Chris in Tampa on 10/23/2015, 4:33 am
Track: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_ep5+shtml/053225.shtml?5-daynl?large#contents
Floater: http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/20E/20E_floater.html
NHC: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

The data was revised further to that at 2:11am CDT based on recon.

This storm is going to be absolutely catastrophic to anyone near the center. It has a small core of destructive winds. I just hope it misses Puerto Vallarta. That is a major population center. Unfortunately there are also small towns along the coast in Patricia's current forecast path. (Google area map: https://goo.gl/maps/cDKJigjRtXu)

And just imagine how bad it is going to be in the elevated terrain even further inland.

This appears to to be the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, both in terms of wind speed and pressure. The previous strongest hurricane ever recorded in the East Pacific basin, in terms of pressure, was Linda in 1997 with a pressure of 902mb. The record in the Atlantic, in terms of pressure, was Wilma in 2005 with a pressure of 882mb. Even if the NHC's advisory at 4am CDT includes a pressure of 880mb, it may still be subject to verification as a new record for the hemisphere.

But for the East Pacific, the pressure record was absolutely shattered.

The next scheduled mission will be conducted by the NOAA Hurricane Hunters. It is scheduled to depart at 9:30am CDT and arrive for a center fix at about 1pm CDT.

If radar data from the lower fuselage radar on the NOAA P-3 is made available, you can view it live at Hurricane City:
http://hurricanecity.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=ep&year=2015&storm=Patricia

They did have radar data on yesterday's NOAA mission. (The mission overnight was by the Air Force.)
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1am CDT Friday best track data: 880mb; 200mph; Likely strongest ever recorded in Western Hem. - Chris in Tampa, 10/23/2015, 4:33 am
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