Watch | Giant Hurricane Patricia strikes Mexico, still “extremely dangerous”

Hurricane Patricia, one of strongest storms ever, struck Mexico's Pacific coast on Friday with destructive winds, mowing down trees, flooding streets and battering buildings. The record-breaking category 5 hurricane began to lose power in the mountains that rise up along the Pacific coast with early reports indicating less damage than feared. With precautionary measures intact, around 15,000 tourists were hurriedly evacuated from the beach resort of Puerto Vallarta as people scrambled to get away from the advancing hurricane, whose massive swirl over Mexico could be seen clearly from space. In a brief televised address late on Friday, President Enrique Pena Nieto urged Mexicans to remain watchful and take precautions, warning that the storm which weather forecasters had said could cause catastrophic damage still posed a serious risk. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said American disaster aid experts were on the ground and primed to help. The National Water Commission said Patricia was “so big and intense” that it could cross the entire country, reach the Gulf of Mexico, and make landfall in the United States.