AdriansWeather.com

Hurricane Wilma was the third hurricane of the Atlantic 2005 season to reach category 5 status, setting a new record for the seasonal number of category 5 storms. It was the 12th hurricane of the season, tying 1969 for the most in any season. Wilma was also the most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic.  The most intense storm on record for the Atlantic Basin, minimum central pressure for Wilma, on October 19th reached 882 mb. Peak sustained winds reached 175 mph as the storm tracked west through the Caribbean Sea. Weakening occurred due to an eyewall replacement cycle prior to landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula on the 21st, but the storm also expanded laterally causing hurricane force winds to extend from only 15 miles from the eye (early on the 19th), to 85 miles during the hours before landfall in Mexico. After battering the Yucatan for a full day, Wilma recurved over the next 2 days to make landfall in Florida on the 24th as a category 3 storm.  At its peak intensity, Wilma's minimum central pressure reached 882 mb, the lowest pressure ever recorded for an Atlantic tropical cyclone.

Posted by adrian2323 on Nov 16, 2009

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