Hurricane Irma still a Category 5 storm after 40 hours
(Worthy News) – Hurricane Irma achieved 40 hours as a Category 5 storm Wednesday evening as it swung through the Caribbean and heads towards Florida.
The National Hurricane Center issued an update Wednesday evening at 11 p.m. Eastern to say that Irma’s maximum sustained winds remains at 185 miles per hour. No new advisory had been issued as of midnight. [ Source (Read More…) ]
#Irma has now had winds of 185 mph for 33 hrs – no other TC around the globe has been this strong for so long in satellite era (since 1966). pic.twitter.com/RKorceW6nS
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) September 7, 2017
#Jose and #Katia were upgraded to hurricane status at same time. Only 3rd time in Atlantic 2 hurricanes have been upgraded simultaneously. pic.twitter.com/ShONh3iKuj
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) September 6, 2017
Hurricane Irma ‘getting even better organized’ says National Hurricane Center scientist
Hurricane Irma appears to be “getting even better organized,” warned a National Hurricane Center scientist, suggesting that the Category 5 storm isn’t losing steam as it barrels through the Caribbean on Wednesday.
“Hard to believe but #Irma is getting even better organized on satellite during the last few hours- very disturbing,” tweeted Eric Blake said on his personal Twitter account in the early evening hours on Wednesday. [ Source (Read More…) ]
Most powerful Atlantic hurricane leaves trail of destruction
The tiny island of Barbuda, which has a population of 1,800, and was devastated.
Its Prime Minister Gaston Browne said: “Barbuda is literally rubble. The entire housing stock was damaged. It is just a total devastation.”
His government estimated destruction on Barbuda was “upwards of 90 per cent”. [ Source (Read More…) ]
Hurricane Irma Meteorological Records/Notable Facts Recap (through September 6 at 11pm EDT)
– 185 mph lifetime max winds – tied with Florida Keys (1935), Gilbert (1988) and Wilma (2005) for second strongest max winds of all time in Atlantic hurricane. Allen had max winds of 190 mph in 1980- 185 mph lifetime max winds – making it the strongest storm on record to impact the Leeward Islands, defined as 15-19°N, 65-60°W for this calculation. Okeechobee Hurricane (1928) and David (1979) were previous strongest at 160 mph- 185 mph lifetime max winds – the strongest storm to exist outside of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico on record- 185 mph max winds for 33 hours – the longest any cyclone around the globe has maintained that intensity on record. The previous record was Haiyan in the NW Pacific at 24 hours- 914 mb lifetime minimum central pressure – lowest since Dean (2007) and 10th lowest in satellite era (since 1966)
– 914 mb lifetime minimum central pressure – lowest pressure by an Atlantic hurricane outside of the western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico on record
– First Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic since Matthew (2016) and first Category 5 hurricane in the tropical Atlantic (7.5-20°N, 60-20°W) since Hugo (1989)
– 1.75 days as a Category 5 hurricane – tied with David (1979), Mitch (1998) and Isabel (2003) for 4th most Category 5 hurricane days on record
Integrated Measures
– Generated the most Accumulated Cyclone Energy by a tropical cyclone on record in the tropical Atlantic (7.5-20°N, 60-20°W) [ Source (Read More…) ]