Hurricane Patricia 'Potentially Catastrophic' as it Heads to Mexico

Hurricane Patricia packed maximum sustained winds of 160 mph late Saturday, a Category 5 hurricane

cnn.com - by Catherine E. Shoichet and Ben Brumfield - October 22, 2015 - 11:37 PM ET

(CNN) Hurricane Patricia, churning toward southwestern Mexico, is a "potentially catastrophic hurricane," forecasters said after the storm increased in strength to Category 5.

"Satellite images indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 160 mph (260 kph) with higher gusts," the National Hurricane Center said Thursday night.

Though it is expected to weaken Friday, it should make landfall on the Pacific coast near Punta San Telmo late in the day as an extremely dangerous storm.

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