Hurricane Wilma

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Hurricane Wilma is the 21st named storm and twelfth hurricane (both record-tying) of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It is also the third Category 5 hurricane of the season, beating the records set by the 1960 and 1961 seasons. It is the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, and the 10th most intense storm, the other 9 being typhoons. Wilma is currently a major threat to parts of the western Caribbean including Cuba, Central America and especially northern Honduras, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and possibly eventually Florida in the United States.

Hurricane Wilma

Duration	Oct. 15, 2005 - present

Storm history

In the second week of October 2005, a large and complex area of low pressure developed over the western Atlantic and eastern Caribbean with several centers of thunderstorm activity. This area of disturbed weather southwest of Jamaica slowly organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-four on October 15.

It reached tropical storm strength at 5 am EDT October 17 (0900 UTC), making it the first storm ever to use the 'W' name since alphabetical naming began in 1950, and tying the record for most storms in a season with 1933. Moving slowly over warm water with little wind shear, it strengthened steadily and became a hurricane on October 18. This made it the 12th hurricane of the season, tying the record set in 1969.

Hurricane Wilma began rapid intensification late Tuesday afternoon, approximately around 2000 UTC. Between 18/1954z to 19/0611z, Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured a 78 mbar pressure drop, from 970mb to 892mb respectively, in a 10 hour period. In a 25-hour period starting 18/0556z to 19/0611z, the pressure fell from 982mb to 892mb, a 90mb pressure drop. In this same 25 hour period, Wilma strengthened from a strong 70mph tropical storm to a powerful category 5 175mph hurricane. Note: In the Atlantic Hurricane Gilbert (1988) went from 960 mb to 888 mb in a 24 hour period for a 3 mb/hr pressure drop.[1]

As dynamic models have moved the storm's track east over Florida, oil futures eased as worries of another direct hit on the oil producing regions of the Gulf of Mexico subsided.

In Cuba there are preparations to evacuate 4 western provinces, including Isle of Youth [2].

In Florida, all non-residents have been ordered to evacuate the keys in Monroe County beginning at 12:00 PM EDT [3].

Wilma is currently a Category 5 hurricane, the most intense on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph and a minimum central pressure of 882 mb -- the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

Current storm information

File:Wilma 5-day forecast track.gif

Projected path of Hurricane Wilma.

As of 8 am EDT October 19 (12:00 UTC), the center of Hurricane Wilma was located near 17°2′N 82°8′W or about 340 miles (550 km) southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. It is moving to the west-northwest at 8 mph (13 km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h), making it a dangerous Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, and has a minimum central pressure of 882 mbar (26.05 InHg) making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever observed based on pressure[4].

It is forecast to skirt the western tip of Cuba before turning northeastward and heading for Florida. Wilma has rapidly strengthened and achieved Category 5 intensity. However, the fact that the eyewall is very small (similar to Hurricane Charley) suggests that an eyewall replacement cycle is inevitable and could begin soon, complicating forecasts.

• For information, see the NHC's latest public advisory on Hurricane Wilma

Watches and Warnings

File:StrikeProbabilitiesforHurricaneWilma.gif

Strike Probablilities

• Hurricane watch is in effect for:
  • the Cayman Islands.
  • the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Punta Gruesa to Cabo Catoche.
  • the Cuban provinces of Matanzas westward to Pinar del Río and the Isle of Youth.

• Tropical storm warnings are in effect for:
  • the Cayman Islands.
  • the northern Caribbean Honduras coast from Puerto Lempira in the east to Cape Camarón in the west, with specific alerts in 31 municipalities in the departments of Atlántida, Colón, Gracias a Dios and the Bay Islands.

Preparations

People in South Florida, Southwest Florida, and the Florida Keys have been advised to monitor the progress of Wilma on the basis that it could become a more dangerous hurricane during the next few days. Evacuations plans are being considered by emergency managers today for parts of South Florida, especially the Florida Keys, as both visitors and residents may be ordered to evacuated by sometime Thursday along the single road (the Overseas Highway) leading to the mainland. Southwest Florida residents may see some voluntary evacuations as early as Wednesday.[5]

In Nicaragua, civil organizations have been ordered to make preparations. In El Salvador the National Emergency committee has been activated.

Impact

Some preliminary information is already starting to come in from the first affected areas. Mudslides have been triggered from the outer bands in Haiti, killing at least 10 people. [6]

Wilma claimed one death in Jamaica as a tropical depression on Sunday. It pounded the island for a third day on Tuesday, flooding several low-lying communities and triggering mudslides that blocked roads and damaged several homes.[7]

Most intense Atlantic hurricanes
Rank	Hurricane	Season	Pressure
			hPa	inHg
1	Wilma	2005	882	26.05
2	Gilbert	1988	888	26.23
3	"Labor Day"	1935	892	26.34
4	Rita	2005	895	26.43
5	Allen	1980	899	26.55
6	Camille	1969	900	26.58
7	Katrina	2005	902	26.64
8	Mitch	1998	905	26.73
	Dean	2007
10	Maria	2017	908	26.81
Source: HURDAT

See also

• 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
• List of notable tropical cyclones

External links

• Hurricane tracking and forecasts for Hurricane Wilma
• Steve Gregory's blog at Weather Underground
• Jeff Masters' blog at Weather Underground