This is not good. The pressure reported by the National Hurricane Center was 976, then 972, then 967....meanwhile, the storm has developed a perfect eye:
The Advanced Dvorak Technique, a computer program being run by folks at the University of Wisconsin that assesses storm intensity, now shows a major rapid intensification burst:
I can only expect that when the National Hurricane Center next reports, it will be calling this storm a Category 2 or even perhaps a Category 3....
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Typhoon Yutu in the West Pacific, currently recurving and heading towards Iwo Jima. Image credit: Naval Research Laboratory.
Over the past day or so, the second Pacific typhoon of the year--Yutu, or Amang--has rapidly intensified. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center now puts the storm's strength at…
From the National Hurricane Center:
THIS SPECIAL ADVISORY IS BEING ISSUED TO REFLECT THAT SERGIO HAS INTENSIFIED TO 85 KNOTS. THIS IS BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PINHOLE EYE AND OBJECTIVE DVORAK-T-NUMBERS. THE INTENSITY FORECAST HAS BEEN A CONSERVATIVELY ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY AND THE INITIAL AND…
Cyclone Indlala has intensified at "greater than climatological rate"--i.e., damn fast--and is now a Category 4 storm on its way to slam the northeastern coast of Madagascar (after further intensifying along the way).
I have been looking at the data on this storm from the Cooperative Institute…
Hurricanes are well defined systems with characteristics that quite literally set them apart from other storms. Large storms such as Nor'Easters are sometimes less well defined and interact more with major troughs, the jet streams, etc. We have come to understand Hurricanes as the worst case…
Just out of curiosity, who determined, and how, just where the demarcations would be for what determines tropical storm -> hurricane -> this category vs. that category? Why, for example, 74mph winds? Why not 75 or 70?!
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale came about in the early 1970's. It purpose is to predict damage to building and other structures on land. The demarcation of 74mph is somewhat arbitrary; however, unanchored mobile homes and trailers will tip over in winds above that value. The real intent seems to have been to keep the values "neat," 0-4 is a 5 unit increment.
Cat 1's will usually result in minimal damage, Cat 2's take off some roofs, damage mobile homes, Cat 3's take off roofs & awnings, cause extensive damage to mobile homes, Cat 4's damage structure walls, bring high storm surge, Cat 5's level houses, spawn tornadoes, bring storm surge that floods and so on.
Thanks, OB!
Chris, you'll appreciate the latest at xkcd.
http://xkcd.com/453/