Hurricane Melissa drew attention not only because of its impact on Jamaica, but also because of several remarkable measurements reported during the storm.
According to the account, Melissa reached an exceptionally intense level before making landfall, with observations involving sustained winds, central pressure, and an extraordinary wind gust recorded by aircraft.
Each measurement tells a different part of the story.
Three Numbers That Describe an Extreme Storm
The reported figures include sustained winds of 185 mph, a central pressure of 892 millibars (mb), and an instantaneous wind gust of 252 mph recorded by a Hurricane Hunter aircraft before landfall.
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