Will Hurricane Patricia Be the Strongest Ever?

By Published on October 23, 2015

With regard to air pressure, Patricia is the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the western hemisphere, exceeding 2005’s Hurricane Wilma in the Atlantic Ocean by two millibars. However, there have been at least seven other tropical cyclones—all out in the western Pacific Ocean—that have reached 880 millibars or stronger. 1979’s Typhoon Tip currently holds the record for lowest minimum air pressure ever seen in a tropical cyclone, coming in at 870 millibars.

It is entirely possible that Patricia is not the strongest storm we’ve ever seen. Most tropical cyclones that form out in the western Pacific Ocean do not receive the in-depth aircraft recon flights storms near North America encounter. It is possible that a storm like Haiyan was stronger than satellites estimated and we just didn’t know it.

However, Patricia is the real deal. An Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft flew into the hurricane last night and directly measured these winds using advanced instruments on the aircraft and via dropsondes released from the aircraft and into the hurricane.

Read the article “Will Hurricane Patricia Be the Strongest Ever?” on thevane.gawker.com.

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