UPDATED 11.20am: 

Hurricane Patricia pummelled Mexico's western coast during the night ripping down trees and forcing thousands to evacuate.

The Category 5 hurricane weakened after making landfall, but still packed winds of up to 130 miles per hour.

The storm hit a strip of beach near the popular resort getaway Puerto Vallarta where some 15,000 tourists were evacuated.

Despite the storms downgrade, President Enrique Pena Nieto urged citizens not to let down their guard.

He said the storm still poses a threat of floods and landslides as it brings heavy rain to parts of the country.

There were no reported casualties, and officials say the damage might not be as catastrophic as feared.

Mexican federal police said only "minor landslides and fallen trees" had so far been reported in Colima.

But the government has warned that ash from the Colima volcano, which has become increasingly active this year, could combine with heavy rainfall to trigger huge mudflows.

Some 400,000 people live in vulnerable areas, according to Mexico's National Disaster Fund.

Before reaching land, Patricia was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere.