HURRICANE ISABEL becomes first Atlantic Category 5 Hurricane since 1998.....

National Hurricane Center ^ | September 11, 2003 | Pasch

[John H K]

BULLETIN HURRICANE ISABEL ADVISORY NUMBER 23 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 5 PM AST THU SEP 11 2003

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISABEL NOW AT CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY...

SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT HURRICANE ISABEL HAS CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN...AND HAS REACHED CATEGORY FIVE INTENSITY ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE. ISABEL IS THE FIRST CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN SINCE MITCH OF 1998.

AT 5 PM AST...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 21.6 NORTH... LONGITUDE 55.3 WEST OR ABOUT 500 MILES...805 KM...EAST-NORTHEAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLAND.

ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH...15 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 160 MPH...260 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE LIKELY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES... 95 KM... FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES...295 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 921 MB...27.20 INCHES.

LARGE OCEAN SWELLS AND DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER PORTIONS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND PUERTO RICO OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

REPEATING THE 5 PM AST POSITION...21.6 N... 55.3 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 9 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...160 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 921 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 11 PM AST.

FORECASTER PASCH

[dennis1x]

128 kt flight level winds....which translated to the surface yields around 125-130mph.

[My Favorite Headache]

The sick thing Rebel is that I would love to experience this one...it looks amazing...and yes before you ask..I have lived through many storms...including Andrew. I am a weather fanatic like that.

[dennis1x]

HOLD THE PRESSES...

latest data shows 156kt flight level!!! wow.

[dirtboy]

latest data shows 156kt flight level!!! wow.

That would be 155-160mph at the surface.

[PJ-Comix]

As to harnessing the energy of a hurricane, I was thinking of something more all-encompassing. Perhaps something that could direct a major part of the energry to an orbiting satellite/power station. How this can be done, I don't know and we are probably at least 50 years away from being able to do it technologically. However, of all natural phenomenons, hurricanes would be the best bet to tap since they have enormous energy and last for at least a week.

[My Favorite Headache]

Exactly. Sat-speculation is usually off by give or take 15-20 mph. I would not be surprised if it was down to 145. It is going too slow as well. I really see the cold front choking it off and sucking it north.

[Dog Gone]

Basically, this is the world's largest tornado at those speeds.

[dirtboy]

The sick thing Rebel is that I would love to experience this one...it looks amazing...and yes before you ask..I have lived through many storms...including Andrew. I am a weather fanatic like that.

Hint - start going inside when they hit. I'd say you've taken too many coconuts in the noggin watching these suckers :^)

[dennis1x]

yep....155-160 at the surface....and it was stronger yesterday.....wish the aircraft couldve gone in yesterday...may have had a 900-910mb storm.

[PJ-Comix]

The sick thing Rebel is that I would love to experience this one...it looks amazing...and yes before you ask..I have lived through many storms...including Andrew. I am a weather fanatic like that.

Maybe you should get an internship at The Weather Channel. They go all out in hurricane coverage.

[Rebelbase]

So you going to the ABC store this time?!! :"?

[Dog Gone]

Both of you guys are smoking hashish right now, right?

[RightWhale]

That makes perfect sense for mobile windmills. They would have to move a couple 1000 miles during the power grab and an extension cord would probably be inconvenient.

[dirtboy]

I would imagine that they intitally entered the storm through the SW quadrant where the winds are weakest. After a crew almost got killed flying into Hugo (they didn't realize it was a Cat 5 until they were well into it), they're a bit more cautious on first approach.

The subsequent flight lines would be in stronger sections...

[My Favorite Headache]

In the words of David Lee Roth " I love em! I need em!"

[Rebelbase]

Neil Franks used to say that Hurricanes are nature's way of tranferring atmospheric engery to from the tropics to the northern lattitudes.

[billbears]

I'm standing there holding a case of Corona and a couple of limes.

LOL!!! I'll see you at the ABC store in Apex next Friday night....

[My Favorite Headache]

That's a sweet wind they are feelin there. By this time tomorrow they will be talking about shipping lanes in the north atlantic.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

ref: your post #42, yes, the gulfstream has its effect, but its mostly prevailing westerly winds....

The Capt.

[NautiNurse]

128kt = 145 mph flight level winds