Hurricane Patricia flattened dozens of homes on Mexico's Pacific coast, but authorities say the record-breaking hurricane largely spared the country as it weakened to a tropical depression.

Dozens of modest homes in the village of Chemula were blown away by Patricia's powerful winds after it made landfall in Jalisco state late Friday.

The villagers survived the hurricane because they evacuated before landfall, which occurred just 20km to the south.

Officials said no casualties have been reported.

"So far, there are no reports of major damage from Patricia. Our gratitude to all for your thoughts, prayers and actions." President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter.

Patricia tore down trees, triggered some flooding and caused minor landslides elsewhere in Jalisco and neighbouring Colima state.

In Jalisco, which bore the brunt of the hurricane, some rivers rose, damaging a bridge and some 250 homes in one community of 600 people, said state government secretary general Roberto Lopez Lara.

"All the forecasts predicted the worst," Lopez Lara said. "We do not have any deaths."

But authorities urged Mexicans to remain on alert as Patricia continued to produce rain on its path north.

Patricia gradually lost steam as it moved further inland overnight, but a "heavy rain threat continues", the US National Hurricane Center said.

Forecasters had warned of a "potential catastrophe" after Patricia's winds peaked at 325km/h on Friday.

That was more powerful than the 315km/h winds of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left more than 7,350 dead or missing when it struck the Philippines in November 2013.