Just How Strong Is Hurricane Irma

On Wednesday, September 6, the colossal category 5 Hurricane Irma amped up its already stunning winds to 185 miles per hour—the second fastest ever recorded for a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. We are all fascinated with brutal extremes, it seems. So, below are the records set by the most impressive North Atlantic hurricanes, since meteorologists began to name them more than half a century ago—as well as for storms in the Pacific Ocean, which actually rank number one in many of the categories. By the way, hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all the same thing; they’re just different names used in different regions. “Smaller” hurricanes can still be terribly dangerous and damaging, too; Hurricane Harvey, which just drowned Texas and Louisiana, does not make the record books in any category—except for rainfall. Hurricane Irma (at posting time): Category: 5 Peak winds: 185 mph Lowest atmospheric pressure: 914 millibars Greatest diameter: 420 miles North Atlantic’s Biggest Beasts Peak winds (sustained for one minute) Allen (1980): 190 mph Irma (2017): 185 Wilma (2005): 185 Gilbert (1988): 185 Katrina (2005): 175 Lowest atmospheric pressure (lower is stronger) Wilma: 882 millibars Gilbert: 888 Katrina: 902 Typical pressure at sea level: 1013 Most rainfall in U.S. (Atlantic and Pacific) Hiki (1950, Hawaii): 52.0 inches Harvey (2017, Texas): 51.8 Amelia (1978, Texas): 48.0 World Record Holders Peak winds at sea Patricia (2015, South Pacific): 215 mph Nancy (1961, North Pacific) 215 Peak winds upon landfall Haiyan (2013, Philippines) 190 mph Meranti (2016, Philippines) 190 Lowest pressure Tip (1979, South Pacific): 870 millibars Greatest diameter (of circulation) Tip: 1,380 miles (distance from New York City to Dallas) Source:  NOAA

By the way, hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all the same thing; they’re just different names used in different regions. “Smaller” hurricanes can still be terribly dangerous and damaging, too; Hurricane Harvey, which just drowned Texas and Louisiana, does not make the record books in any category—except for rainfall.

Hurricane Irma (at posting time): Category: 5 Peak winds: 185 mph Lowest atmospheric pressure: 914 millibars Greatest diameter: 420 miles

North Atlantic’s Biggest Beasts

Peak winds (sustained for one minute) Allen (1980): 190 mph Irma (2017): 185 Wilma (2005): 185 Gilbert (1988): 185 Katrina (2005): 175

Lowest atmospheric pressure (lower is stronger) Wilma: 882 millibars Gilbert: 888 Katrina: 902 Typical pressure at sea level: 1013

Most rainfall in U.S. (Atlantic and Pacific) Hiki (1950, Hawaii): 52.0 inches Harvey (2017, Texas): 51.8 Amelia (1978, Texas): 48.0

World Record Holders

Peak winds at sea Patricia (2015, South Pacific): 215 mph Nancy (1961, North Pacific) 215

Peak winds upon landfall Haiyan (2013, Philippines) 190 mph Meranti (2016, Philippines) 190

Lowest pressure Tip (1979, South Pacific): 870 millibars

Greatest diameter (of circulation) Tip: 1,380 miles (distance from New York City to Dallas)

Source:  NOAA