Hurricane Patricia is coming for Mexico as the strongest hurricane in history

A category 5 hurricane is about to slam into Mexico, NOAA reported on Friday.

With 200-mph winds, Hurricane Patricia is considered the strongest Eastern North Pacific hurricane on record.

Here's what the storm looked like as of October 22:

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As of 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Patricia was headed north toward southwest Mexico, where it's expected to make landfall as a category 5 storm, the strongest category on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. 

Astronaut Scott Kelly took these disturbing shots of the storm from space:

And it's appeared to have broken the Dvorak scale, which estimates intensity based on satellite imaging:

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As of 11 a.m. ET, a hurricane warning is in effect from San Blas to Punta San Telmo, Mexico. A hurricane watch (which just means hurricane conditions are possible) has been issued for the region East of Punta San Telmo to Lazaro Cardenas. A tropical storm warning is also in effect in that region, and North of San Blas to El Roblito.

Here's a map of Patricia's expected trajectory:

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The NOAA says the storm could bring "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides" as well as deadly rip current and surf conditions.

Patricia has intensified incredibly fast. As Bob Henson writes on his Weather Underground blog, "In a mere 36 hours, Patricia’s official NHC rating went from minimal tropical storm (40 mph) to Category 5 hurricane — among the most rapid intensification rates one might expect in a hurricane anywhere."

Here's an enhanced-color animation of the storm winds:

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We'll keep you posted as the storm develops throughout the day.

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