Isabel stronger than ...... (CORRECTION)

[Renata]

Hurricane Isabel is the strongest Category 5 in 15 years.

It was Hurricane Gilbert (Sep 8-20, 1988) which topped 160 mph for six hours only but remained a category 5 for 18 hours. Press: 888 MB

Andrew's (Aug 16-28, 1992) speed topped 150 mph and lasted six hours only but remained a category 5 for 12 hours. Lowest pressure was 992MB.

Hurricane Mitch (Oct 22 - Nov 9, 1998) wind speed was 155 mph and last 12 hours at that top speed. It remained a Category 5 for 30 hours!! Press: 905 MB

This is an edited message in response to all the responses below
The source which I used for my information was UNISYS. If the speeds are listed in knots then Mitch would have topped 178 mph.

The official record for Mitch (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1998mitch.html) shows a top speed of 155 KTS which means that in fact Isabel is no where near as strong as Andrew, Gilbert, or Mitch as I had earlier indicated.

Please accept my apologies. I did not set out to intentionally mislead.

ANDREW:
http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atl ... index.html

GILBERT:
http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atl ... index.html

MITCH:
http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atl ... index.html

[wow]

mitch got up to 180mph

[AussieMark]

Your measurements seem to me that they are in Knots

150 kts = 175 mph
160 kts - 185 mph
155 kts - 180 mph

[Valkhorn]

Gilbert was around 185mph

Also Andrew had a pressure of 922, not 992

[abajan]

mitch got up to 180mph

When I heard it over the radio my jaw dropped and stuck in that position for a week.

[Mattie]

* Hurricane Allen reached Category 5 intensity three times along its path through the southern Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico: twice these periods were of 24-hours duration and the third lasted 18 hours.


Check out the site for interesting Cat 5 stats:


http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/s ... t5hur.html

PS - the site doesn't reflect Andrew's status as 5 - but it was upgraded last year to a 5 in post analysis so I'm told.

[Mattie]

* Hurricane Allen reached Category 5 intensity three times along its path through the southern Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico: twice these periods were of 24-hours duration and the third lasted 18 hours.



http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/satellite/s ... t5hur.html

[abajan]

Your measurements seem to me that they are in Knots

150 kts = 175 mph
160 kts - 185 mph
155 kts - 180 mph

Yes, that would be correct because 155 mph is in fact the top end of Cat 4 and not Cat 5.

[abajan]

Hurricane Isabel is the strongest Category 5 in 15 years.

It was Hurricane Gilbert (Sep 8-20, 1988) which topped 160 mph for six hours only but remained a category 5 for 18 hours. Press: 888 MB

Andrew's (Aug 16-28, 1992) speed topped 150 mph and lasted six hours only but remained a category 5 for 12 hours. Lowest pressure was 992MB.

Hurricane Mitch (Oct 22 - Nov 9, 1998) wind speed was 155 mph and last 12 hours at that top speed. It remained a Category 5 for 30 hours!! Press: 905 MB

Better recheck that info, Renata.