Looks like a Cat 5 on satellite, simply awesome

[dolebot_Broward_NW]

Here is a classic annular shape.

[Derek Ortt]

Opal had a 17mb drop from 933 to 916mb in just 90 minutes. Now that is an impressive drop

Ivan was not an annular hurricane as it had many rainbands

[soonertwister]

Annular hurricanes form multiple subvortices within the eye of the hurricane. The hurricane is so severe and turbulent that it creates mini-cylones that rotate counterclockwise within the eye. Usually there are five or seven of them.

It's the hallmark of the most powerful storms, and it's rarely been observed until recently, when our observational tools became more effective.

If a category 3 is showing annularism, it's going stronger, absolutely 100% guaranteed.

[dolebot_Broward_NW]

Aye, thanks for the clarification Derek.

[roomer]

Here is a classic annular shape.

I'm speechless...unbelievable image, especially withing the eye

[huricanwatcher]

Here is a classic annular shape.

I'm speechless...unbelievable image, especially withing the eye

sorry but that picture was digitally enhanced to create mass panic and drum up alot of BS......

[dolebot_Broward_NW]

Look in this forum under the topic "Pentagram visible in the eye of Dennis" and you'll see similar structures in the eye. It looks more like a star than a pentagram to me.

[PurdueWx80]

Umm...no it's not. That is Isabel just the way she was from 2003 (or whenever).

[hightide]

Real Picture... Remember watching it on GOES

[dolebot_Broward_NW]

Wasn't aware of that. Picked it up off google images when someone asked what it was. I remember seeing these vortices also in other hurricanes.

[jkt21787]

Pros, can you chime in?
Is this trying to go annular?

[roomer]

OK, this might be a dumb question but I'm just making sure I have this right....

It is impossible then to have a cat 2 or 3 hurricane that is annular?

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Steph

[WeatherEmperor]

I dont know about you guys, but Dennis looks very very beautiful right now. I mean just look at that CDO.

<RICKY>

[soonertwister]

That picture from Isabel isn't close to the best example of annularism I've seen. I'd have to do research to try to find the cane that grazed the barrier islands of Delmarva, but that one went annular at cat 5 well offshore in the Atlantic, and high resolution satellite caught the annularism at its symmetrically awesome best.

Isabel was a "C" compared to that photo.

[soonertwister]

Dennis's presentation is much more representative of a strong category 4 or weak category 5 than a category 3. All the more reason why everyone in danger of being hit by this hurricane really needs to leave the vicinity tonight.

[wxman57]

OK, this might be a dumb question but I'm just making sure I have this right....

It is impossible then to have a cat 2 or 3 hurricane that is annular?

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Steph

Steph, here's a nice paper on Annular Hurricanes:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~kossin/articl ... arhurr.pdf

Basically, to qualify as an annular hurricane, there are two things to look for:

1. The hurricane has to have a normal to large-sized eye surrounded by a single symmetric band of convection.

2. There is generally no significant convection or spiral banding beyond this single ring of squalls surrounding the eye.

Dennis most certainly does NOT qualify as an annular hurricane, as it has plenty of convection in a large feeder band well outside the CDO. THe author of the paper above found that the average wind speeds of the annular hurrianes he studied was about 107 kts (Cat 3).

[Stratusxpeye]

I see this impressive sat images, But i dont understand why they are issuing the winds to be merely 115 thats a very low cat 3 for such an impressive storm?

[jkt21787]

OK, this might be a dumb question but I'm just making sure I have this right....

It is impossible then to have a cat 2 or 3 hurricane that is annular?

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Steph

Steph, here's a nice paper on Annular Hurricanes:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~kossin/articl ... arhurr.pdf

Basically, to qualify as an annular hurricane, there are two things to look for:

1. The hurricane has to have a normal to large-sized eye surrounded by a single symmetric band of convection.

2. There is generally no significant convection or spiral banding beyond this single ring of squalls surrounding the eye.

Dennis most certainly does NOT qualify as an annular hurricane, as it has plenty of convection in a large feeder band well outside the CDO. THe author of the paper above found that the average wind speeds of the annular hurrianes he studied was about 107 kts (Cat 3).

Thank you for the answer.

We can breath a sigh of relief now...

[patsmsg]

the weather channle said the stronger dennis gets the father east it will go and just wanted to know it this crap true or is it full of bs?????????????????????

I'm not a Met, but that doesn't sound right to me at all.

<edited to add> Gilbert sure as heck didn't go east now did it?