Hurricane Wilma - Close-Up Visible Satellite Loop

This is an excellent visible satellite loop of Hurricane Wilma at peak intensity, showing a pronounced cycloidal looping motion of the eye and CDO. At the beginning of this loop, Wilma is at peak intensity and has the lowest central pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic-basin hurricane...882mb!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Hurricane
• Wilma
• Severe
• Weather
• Storms
• Tropical
• Cyclone
• Hurricanes
• 2005
• Extreme
• Disaster
• Visible
• Satellite
• Loop

[Jangle2007]

I would dearly love to see hurricance hunter vids or photos from Wilma's eye at this peak intensity in an eye only 2 miles wide!  It must have been the most incredible stadium effect ever witnessed.

[vmax135]

From what I've heard the recon mission that encountered Wilma at peak intensity had an extremely rough flight...and were less than a thousand feet above the surface with the plane in a nose down attitude before recovering. Almost on par with the NOAA P3 that was severely damaged during the first penetration of Hugo in 1989, or the mission that had to be aborted during Hurricane Felix last year. It definitely would be amazing to see video of that.

[sabinstreet]

This satellite loop is the best example of what I found so strange about Wilma. The way that it moved during those couple days when it was at its height was something I've never seen before. It looked like the eye/center of lowest pressure was actually pinwheeling around a secondary center of circulation, so the hurricane looped its way through the satellite pictures. Any idea why this was? I've never seen or heard of anything like it before.

[vmax135]

Hi, that type of motion is relatively common in tropical cyclones, it was just very pronounced with Wilma. It is known as trochoidal motion, which results when the eyewall/eye, are rotating around a common point within the entire storm envelope. In this case, while overall Wilma was moving WNW, the inner-core was rotating cyclonically within the outer eye/eyewall region. (cont.)

[vmax135]

(cont.) The motion is similar to multi-vortex tornadoes when individual suction spots rotate around the overall tornado's center. Another example is my Andrew radar loop, there's a distinct dual-hemispheric structure to the eye, with each lobe rotating around one another as the hurricane made landfall

[twelfthfloor777]

Most amazing storm I've ever seen. Will we ever see a 2 mile wide eye ever again?

[vmax135]

Yeah, Wilma was definitely a record breaker. I'm sure something will eventually come along that will challenge some of its records, though a 2 mile-wide eye may be hard to come by again...for awhile.

[ccdcat68]

Wilmas eye is so small when is at its peak

[lancekok22]

wilma was the strongest not biggest I believe Ike could be the largest in size

[GermanOperaSinger]

@Jangle2007 @vmax135 I've never seen any video of the recon flight either, but the ISS images taken around 1324Z on the 19th when Wilma was at peak intensity are absolutely breathtaking.

[FloridaSeverWeather]

its odd, like the eye rotates around a center rotation, almost like a satellite tornado in a mesocyclone

[cookie1749]

@xxxRCT3FREAKxxx yeah it was replaced by Whitney. By the way wont happen :D

[cookie1749]

@twelfthfloor777  I hope so :D

[SCECountZero]

thats scary i dont want to be an astronaut

[PrinceAndres98]

@vmax135

From what you've told me, I aggree!!

[PrinceAndres98]

@sabinstreet

I noticed that, too. Maybe it's just something to do with the satellite.

[FalcoPWNNch]

@xxxRCT3FREAKxxx Yes, did alot of damage to the yucatan of mexico and more damage to south florida.