What is the minimum pressure of Hurricane Irma?
By 00:15 UTC on September 6, Irma reached peak intensity with 180 mph (285 km/h) winds and a minimum pressure of 914 mbar (914 hPa; 27.0 inHg). This ties it with Hurricane Mitch of 1998 and Hurricane Rita of 2005 as the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane by wind speed.
What was Hurricane Irma like?
Hurricane Irma was a classic Cape Verde hurricane that will long be remembered for its severity and wide-ranging impacts to several islands in the Caribbean Sea and Florida.
When did Hurricane Irma hit the Bahamas?
At 05:00 UTC on September 8, Irma made landfall on the island of Little Inagua in the Bahamas with sustained winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). The hurricane then began tracking more to the west due to the intensification of a subtropical ridge to its north.
What was the wind speed of Hurricane Irma in Georgia?
By the time the minimal hurricane reached northwest Florida (on the morning of September 11th), the wind gusts across south Georgia and northwest Florida were generally in the 45 to 60 MPH range (Fig. 8).
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Where is the highest barometric pressure in a hurricane?
Central Pressure The atmospheric pressure at the center of a high or low. It is the highest pressure in a high and the lowest pressure in a low, referring to the sea level pressure of the system. In a hurricane, a lower central pressure create a stronger gradient from outside to inside the system.
What hurricane had the lowest barometric pressure?
The lowest pressure at landfall on record is 892 millibars in the 1935 Labor Day hurricane in the Florida Keys, which was blamed for more than 400 deaths. Pressure is often used to compare hurricanes throughout history because measurements of pressure are usually more accurate than those of wind speeds.
What was the barometric pressure when Katrina hit?
920 millibarsKatrina made landfall in 2005 with a pressure reading of 920 millibars (about 8 percent lower than the average 1,000 mb air pressure at sea level), according to the NHC. The final recording from inside Michael before landfall was one tick lower: 919 mb.
Is Irma the strongest hurricane in history so far?
Irma was the strongest storm ever on record in the Atlantic, outside of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The 185 mph (298 kph) maximum sustained winds lasted for 37 hours, the longest time a tropical cyclone has maintained winds that strong.
What is the highest barometric pressure ever recorded?
1083.8mbThe highest barometric pressure ever recorded was 1083.8mb (32 in) at Agata, Siberia, Russia (alt. 262m or 862ft) on 31 December 1968. This pressure corresponds to being at an altitude of nearly 600 m (2,000 ft) below sea level!
Which US state has the lowest barometric pressure?
Biggest and Smallest Ranges Honolulu, Hawaii is the place in the US with the overall smallest range of changes in barometric pressure, ranging from 29.34 to 30.32 inHg (993.56 to 1026.75 hPa).
What was the barometric pressure of Hurricane Michael?
919 millibarsMichael's central pressure of 919 millibars (mb) at landfall is the third lowest on record for a landfalling U. S. hurricane since reliable records began in 1900, trailing only the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 (892 mb) and Hurricane Camille of 1969 (900 mb).
What was the worst hurricane in history?
GalvestonUnited StatesRankHurricaneSeason1"Galveston"19002"San Ciriaco"18993Maria20174"Okeechobee"19287 more rows
What was the barometric pressure of Hurricane Wilma?
882 hPaHurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record in terms of minimum barometric pressure, with an atmospheric pressure of 882 hPa (mbar, 26.05 inHg).
What was the storm surge of Hurricane Irma?
Storm surge at Key West was 1 m at 14:24 on 10 September when Hurricane Irma passed over the Florida Keys. The highest storm surge on the west coast was 1.6 m at 23:06 on 10 September at Naples. The greatest negative storm surge, an astounding −2.7 m, occurred at 8:12 on 11 September at Cedar Key.
What record did hurricane Irma break for wind speed?
185mphIrma is the biggest Atlantic storm for a decade. And the numbers behind it reveal a truly terrifying force. According to meteorologists at Colorado State University, Irma's maximum wind speeds reached 185mph. This ties it with the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane and Hurricane Gilbert from 1988.
What category storm was Irma?
Category 5 Hurricane (SSHWS)Hurricane Irma / Category
What is Hurricane Irma?
Hurricane Irma was a classic Cape Verde hurricane that will long be remembered for its severity and wide-ranging impacts to several islands in the Caribbean Sea and Florida. Like many of the most notorious Atlantic hurricanes, Irma began as a weak wave of low pressure accompanied by disorganized showers and thunderstorms which emerged off the west African coast on August 27th, near the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (Fig. 1). Such disturbances move off the African coast every few days during August and September, however, most of them fail to develop into tropical cyclones. This can be due to a number of factors, including blasts of dry, stable air from the Saharan desert, strong upper-level westerly winds, or a lack of the necessary atmospheric “spin” needed to generate a counterclockwise circulation.
How far did Irma go in the atmosphere?
For many days Irma had been steered steadily westward across the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean islands by a strong ridge in the mid to upper atmosphere (10k to 30k ft AGL) to Irma’s north.
What do the white lines on the Irma ridge mean?
White lines with arrows indicate direction of steering, image indicates forward speed. Note Irma’s location over the north coast of Cuba, between the Bermuda ridge to the east and a ridge over the western Gulf of Mexico. The mid-upper trough between these ridges steered Irma to the northwest, then north.
Where did storm surge flooding occur?
In addition to the long periods of heavy rain and strong winds, storm surge flooding also occurred well away from the storm center, including the Jacksonville area, where strong and persistent onshore winds had been occurring for days before Irma’s center made its closest approach.
What is the lowest barometric pressure for a hurricane?
Lowest Hurricane Pressures. Here are the lowest pressures of a few of the more infamous hurricanes: In 2005, Hurricane WILMA reached the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic Basin hurricane: 882 millibars. In 1988, Hurricane GILBERT reached one of the lowest hurricane pressures at 888 millibars.
What was the barometric pressure of Hurricane Sandy?
In 2012, Hurricane SANDY, dubbed a “superstorm” because of its massive size, recorded a minimum barometric pressure of 940 millibars.
What was the lowest pressure hurricane in 1969?
Hurricane CAMILLE also reached one of the lowest hurricane pressures of 900 millibars in 1969. In 1992, Hurricane ANDREW decimated Florida, making landfall as a Category 5 storm.
What is the normal air pressure at sea level?
As terrain rises above sea level, the barometric pressure also rises as the air’s gas molecules become less dense. Scientists consider 1013.2 millibars to be the normal air pressure at sea level on a calm day.
What are the future hurricanes?
In fact, current research released by NOAA indicates we can expect the following increases in future hurricane activity: 1 Increased sea level rises, resulting in higher coastal flooding during hurricanes 2 Higher hurricane rainfall amounts, causing increased flooding concerns 3 Greater hurricane intensity, fueled by rising global temperatures 4 More catastrophic Category 4 and 5 storms than in the past
What does falling air pressure mean?
A falling air pressure generally means there is an approaching storm that will arrive within the next 12 to 24 hours.
What happens when barometric pressure increases?
If barometric pressure increases, the cyclone may be losing strength —or going through a cycle of reorganizing. Alternately, if the pressure goes down, the storm is intensifying, gaining in strength and in wind speed. Therefore, the lower the barometric pressure in hurricanes, the higher the wind speeds— and the more dangerous the storm.
How long did Irma last?
Irma had sustained winds of 185 mph for 37 hours, the longest any tropical cyclone around the world has maintained that intensity. The previous record was 24 hours, during Super Typhoon Haiyan in the northwest Pacific in 2013.
What was the strongest hurricane in 1980?
Only Hurricane Allen had greater winds of 190 mph in 1980. At 185 mph, it was the strongest storm on record to impact the Leeward Islands. The Okeechobee Hurricane (1928) and David (1979) were the previous strongest at 160 mph. It was the closest approach of a Category 5 to the Turks and Caicos on record. Irma was a Category 5 hurricane ...
How is cyclone energy measured?
Energy. Accumulated cyclone energy, or ACE, is a way of measuring a hurricane by adding up the wind energy used by a tropical system over its lifetime. Irma generated the most ACE (44.2 units) by a tropical cyclone on record in the tropical Atlantic and also the most in a 24-hour period on record, breaking the old record set by Allen (1980).
How to determine the strength of a hurricane?
Barometric pressure is another way to determine the strength of a storm. The lower the pressure, the stronger the storm. It's referred to in inches in the U.S., but other countries and all scientists use millibars, a Metric measurement. At 915 millibars, Irma has the lowest pressure of an Atlantic hurricane outside of the western Caribbean ...
What is the highest wind speed in the Atlantic Ocean?
Irma's 185 mph winds were also the highest on record for a storm in the Atlantic Ocean (not counting the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico). When the entire Atlantic Basin is included, Irma is tied with the Florida Keys / Labor Day hurricane (1935), Gilbert (1988) and Wilma (2005) for second-highest winds on record.
Has Hurricane Irma broken any records?
All the records Hurricane Irma has already broken. Hurricane Irma continues to astound and amaze meteorologists with its relentless ferocity. Several records have already been broken, and Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach has been tracking them all.
When did Hurricane Irma hit the Leeward Islands?
Hurricane Irma near peak intensity approaching the Leeward Islands on September 5. Irma re-intensified into a Category 3 hurricane at 12:00 UTC on September 3 as it moved southwestwards under the influence of the ridge.
When did Irma reach Category 4?
As a result, Irma underwent another period of rapid intensification, reaching Category 4 intensity at 18:00 UTC on September 4 and Category 5 status at 12:00 UTC on September 5.
What was the hurricane that hit Florida in 2004?
This made Irma the first Category 4 hurricane to strike Florida since Hurricane Charley in 2004.
What was the strongest hurricane in the Caribbean?
Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful Cape Verde hurricane that caused extensive damage in the Caribbean and Florida. Lasting from late August to mid-September 2017, the storm was the strongest open-Atlantic tropical cyclone on record and the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands. Classified as the ninth named storm, fourth ...
What hurricane hit Tampa in September?
Passing east of Tampa as a weakening Category 1 hurricane around 06:00 UTC on September 11, Irma continued to weaken as most of the deep convection became more spread out towards the northern semi-circle of the circulation – though it retained a large wind field, with most of Florida experiencing gale-force winds.
How fast is Hurricane Irma?
Hurricane Irma has had a maximum wind speed of 185 miles per hour in its lifetime, making this the first time for a storm like this to exist in the Atlantic. The warmer waters in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico make those areas more prone to cyclones.
When did Hurricane Irma hit Cuba?
An infamously powerful and unnamed hurricane hit Cuba in 1932, forcing 1 million people to evacuate from low-lying areas in central Cuban provinces. Irma tied with this hurricane for longest time spent in Category 5 strength.
What was the strongest hurricane in the Leeward Islands?
Klotzbach noted that, at Category 5 strength, Hurricane Irma was the strongest storm on record to impact the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of up to 185 miles per hour. Before Irma, the Okeechobee Hurricane (in 1928) and Hurricane David (1979) were the strongest to hit the area with winds of 160 miles per hour.
What is ACE in hurricanes?
Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) is another way that scientists measure a hurricane season using the combined wind energy a storm produces during a set time period. According to Wunderground, ACE is “used to express the activity and destructive potential of individual tropical cyclones and entire tropical cyclone seasons.”
Where was Hurricane Irma?
Hurricane Irma Summary . On August 30, 2017, Irma developed into a tropical storm 676 km (420 mi) west of the Cabo Verde Islands. Irma quickly intensified into a hurricane as it moved westward across the Atlantic Ocean.
What was the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic?
After interacting with the warm waters around the Lesser Antilles, Irma further strengthened into a Category 5 storm breaking the Atlantic hurricane record for strongest sustained winds at 82.7 m/s (160.8 kts). The storm directly hit Barbuda on September 6 with high wind gusts and heavy rainfall.
How many stations in the southeast United States exceeded their respective historical also maximum water level values?
Seven stations alo ng the southeast United States exceeded their respective historical also maximum water level values. Four of -breaking locations, which arethese record located within the St. Johns River in Florida, experienced a combination of storm surge and excessive rainfall, causing higher river levels.
Did Irma cause low water levels?
In addition to several record high water levels, Irma produced record low water levels as well. As the storm traveled up Florida’s west coast, winds ahead of the eye from the northeast causblowing ed significant amounts of water to be pushed offshore, including out of Tampa Bay for several hours.
References Cited
National Weather Service, 1972, The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale [Updated February 1, 2012]: National Hurricane Center web page, accessed February 27, 2018, at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php.
References Cited
National Weather Service, 1972, The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale [Updated February 1, 2012]: National Hurricane Center web page, accessed February 27, 2018, at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php.
Overview
Records
Irma set multiple records for intensity, especially at easterly longitudes, time spent at such an intensity, and its intensity at landfall. When Irma reached Category 5 intensity with winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) at 11:45 UTC on September 5 at 57.7°W, it became the easternmost Atlantic hurricane of this strength on record, surpassing Hurricane David of 1979, later beaten by Hurricane Lorenzo 2 years later. By 00:15 UTC on September 6, Irma reached peak intensity with 180 mph (…
Meteorological history
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) began monitoring a tropical wave over western Africa on August 26. The tropical wave moved off the coast of the continent late on August 27. Throughout the next two days, showers and thunderstorms associated with the wave became better organized and gradually coalesced into a low-pressure area, as the system passed just south of and the…
Preparations
Given that Irma's forecast track was along much of the Caribbean island chain, hurricane warnings were issued for the northern Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, and parts of Hispaniola on September 5.
In Antigua and Barbuda, residents safeguarded their homes and cleaned up their properties in anticipation of strong winds. Emergency crews were put on stand…
Impact
Hurricane Irma's path was such that its impact was both far-reaching and devastating, with landfalls in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Martin, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the United States, all at major hurricane intensity. Furthermore, the size of the storm system meant that destruction was prevalent even in territories well removed from landfall occurrences. Irma is the second-costlies…
Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma's path through the West Indies and Caribbean, the devastation to roads, harbors and airports significantly impeded the transportation and distribution of relief supplies. Foreign countries moved to provide much of the initial aid. The British, Dutch, French, and United States governments sent warships and planes with supplies and manpower t…
Retirement
On April 11, 2018, at the 40th session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Irma from its rotating naming lists, due to the extensive amount of damage and loss of life it caused in the northeastern Caribbean and the United States, particularly in Florida, and it will never again be used for another Atlantic hurricane. It will be replaced with Idalia for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
See also
• Weather of 2017
• Tropical cyclones in 2017
• List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes
• Operation RUMAN – UK military-civil disaster relief response to Hurricane Irma.