• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Hurricane Wilma Grows to Record Monster

Posted on: Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Hurricane Wilma set more new records Wednesday, exploding in strength to a lethal Category 5 storm in hours over the Caribbean Sea.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 a.m. EDT, the storm's sustained winds had soared to 175 mph with higher gusts in just several hours. It was 170 miles south-southwest of Grand Cayman, moving west-northwest near 8 mph.

Already a record-setter for being the 21st tropical storm of the season, and also the 12th hurricane of the year, forecasters said another record appeared likely -- the barometric pressure in the storm's eye. At 5 a.m., it was recorded by an Air Force reconnaissance plane at 884 millibars, which if confirmed, would break the old record of 888 in 1988's Hurricane Gilbert. The lower the barometric pressure in a storm, the greater sea water vacuum and cyclonic fueling effect.

Forecasters said the storm could strike Florida as soon as the weekend, but most likely as a weakened Category 3 storm, CNN said.

Rain from the system was falling on Jamaica, Cuba, Nicaragua and Honduras, although none was expected to experience a direct hit.

Source: United Press International

More News in this Category