Hurricane Patricia is a force to fear, meteorologists are warning today. It's the strongest hurricane ever measured.
It is expected to make landfall in Mexico today. Winds could reach an unprecedented 200 miles per hour.
Here are some things to know about Hurricane Patricia.
The lower this air pressure, the stronger the storm
At 4 a.m. CDT today, this storm broke the record of 882 millibars (central pressure). That was set nearly 10 years ago by Hurricane Wilma. Patricia hit 880, according to weather.com. Millibars are measured by a reconnaissance aircraft sent into the storm by the National Hurricane Center.
Little wind shear
Wind shear helps break up a storm, but Hurricane Patricia has hardly encountered any.
El Niño may be affecting this storm
The warmer, rising temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are possibly spurring the hurricane's intensity.
Storm surge could be nearly 40 feet high
Torrential rains are expected to fall when Hurricane Patricia reaches shore, and the storm surge is predicted to reach as high as 39 feet. This may cause flash floods and mudslides, which are extremely dangerous. High winds could heavily damage property.
States in the U.S. will feel Patricia's effects
Some states will get rains from this hurricane through Thursday of next week (that's when it will reach the Ohio Valley).
