Wilma Bombs Out. Strengthens to Strong Category Four.

Posted on October 19, 2005

Hurricane Wilma has strengthened incredibly rapidly today and has become a straong Category Four Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph. Wilma is very close to a Category Five and could become one tomorrow according to the National Hurricane Center.

Wilma has a very low minimum central pressure of 901 mb which puts it in the same ballpark as the deadly hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Wilma's pressure is actually lower than Katrina's lowest minimum central pressure of 902 mb.

AN AIR FORCE PLANE MEASURED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. WILMA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. THE HURRICANE COULD BECOME A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE TODAY.
LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE JUST REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE PLANE WAS IS 901 MB...26.61 INCHES.

It is unbelievable to see so many incredibly powerful hurricanes in one season. The NHC is describing the eye of Hurricane Wilma as a "pinhole eye." Unfortunately, for Floridians the forecast path still shows Wilma targeting the Florida Peninsula with South Florida as the highest probable landfall area. If Wilma retains most of its strength and moves rapidly over Florida as expected then some inland Florida counties and east coast Florida counties may also experience strong winds.

HURRICANES
HURRICANE WILMA