NASA: #HurricaneMichael intensifying – now 150 MPH winds at landfall, nearly Cat5

UPDATES BELOW

The latest GOES16 satellite closeup of the eye of Hurricane Michael at landfall.

Live Source here

This morning, it has further intensified and now stands on the threshold of a CAT5 storm. It would become Cat5 at 156mph sustained winds.

NASA: Max sustained winds in high-end Cat 4 have unfortunately continued to intensify, now at 150 MPH! Pressure down to 27.26″. ( GOES-East 30-sec vis imagery)

 

Source: https://twitter.com/NASA_SPoRT/status/1050048660648710144

UPDATES:

https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/1050051973972721664

 

https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/1050065771701948417

 

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October 10, 2018 8:59 am
Reply to  Anthony Watts
October 10, 2018 9:28 am

If it is not a poor coordinates tracking, I would guess it might be to do with the rate of updating (looking at its today’s back data), i.e. wind graphic appears to be updated every hour, while graphic for the storm centre marker might be updated more frequently.

NZ Willy
Reply to  vukcevic
October 10, 2018 11:27 am

So they model the wind speed from the temperature of the eye compared with the cold cloud tops?!? We know how that goes — while I’m not belittling the hurricane, I predict on-the-ground wind speed measurements will be significantly less than these model-driven predictions.

Simon
Reply to  NZ Willy
October 10, 2018 10:06 pm

If that’s how they do it, as along as they are consistent, what is the issue.

Reply to  Anthony Watts
October 10, 2018 10:00 am

looking at different altitudes the centre of storm marker is at fixed position while the eye of the storm is moving around quite a bit.

Reply to  Anthony Watts
October 10, 2018 1:31 pm

Mr Watts
Ventusky.com must have seen your comment and removed the centre of the storm marker

ebakanezir
Reply to  vukcevic
October 10, 2018 9:50 am

Sorry for the dumb question, but looking at the animated graphic makes me wonder, where does all the air go that is rushing toward the center? Does it flow out the top?

Reply to  ebakanezir
October 10, 2018 10:03 am

Yes, moves upwards
see graphic atcomment image

Greg
Reply to  ebakanezir
October 10, 2018 10:20 am

Where do you see air rushing towards the centre in animation? What you see looking down is the outflow.

Phil
Reply to  ebakanezir
October 10, 2018 1:13 pm

From https://hypertextbook.com/facts/2007/DmitriyGekhman.shtml quoting Beiser, Arthur. Schaum’s Outline of Applied Physics. McGraw-Hill, 2004.:

“At 100 °C and atmospheric pressure … the density of water is 1000 kg/m3, and the density of steam is 0.6 kg/m3.”

The intense rainfall is condensing water vapor. When water vapor condenses it occupies a lot less space than in the vapor phase, thus creating a vacuum. Although water vapor is not condensing at 100 °C, the relative densities shown above can give you an idea of the vacuum engine that is driving the hurricane. When starved of moisture, the hurricane dissipates.

Reply to  vukcevic
October 10, 2018 10:57 am

Better view here from GOES-16 (the new operational GOES-East).

https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/floater_band.php?sat=G16&stormid=AL142018&band=11&length=12

Z
Reply to  vukcevic
October 10, 2018 1:57 pm

So that’s in MPH. Or. Km/H
May make a small difference

Reply to  vukcevic
October 10, 2018 6:05 pm

God save the Redneck Riviera!

Put your faith in prayer, and get the hell out of Dodge.

tweak
Reply to  ALLAN MACRAE
October 11, 2018 1:50 am

Using FLDOT data, I showed an exodus of 195 vehicles headed up SR 71 from Port St Joe area. Unless they crammed 16.5 people or more per vehicle, a lot of people rode it out.

Reply to  tweak
October 11, 2018 4:04 am

You can fit lots of people into the box of a pickup.

2hotel9
October 10, 2018 9:04 am

Running the Accuweather snow/ice/rain satellite radar composite and it is a really compact body. They least it as less than 60 miles out, sustained winds 145, gust 175 as of 11:20 CST. This is going to be a bad one.

Eric Simpson
Reply to  2hotel9
October 10, 2018 10:15 am

It’s normal to have big storms.

It’s been that way for centuries, with often 5 or even 7 major hurricanes hitting the US in one year (search Steven Goddard / Tony Heller for tons of posts on this, or input simply site:realclimatescience.com hurricanes or variations of that).

It’s NORMAL to have big storms. But with every single storm the leftists start screaming “climate change! climate change! climate change!” No, it’s normal to have devastating storms. They are proof of nothing abnormal.

2hotel9
Reply to  Eric Simpson
October 10, 2018 4:09 pm

Dude? I am just pointing out it is a bad one. Been through 9 hurricanes in my life, I know what they do.

meteorologist in research
Reply to  Eric Simpson
October 10, 2018 7:12 pm

There should be fewer hurricanes, but they should be stronger.

Simon
Reply to  meteorologist in research
October 10, 2018 10:10 pm

Correct. And my understanding is this is the strongest to hit this area in recorded history. And it is the speed of development that is interesting hurricane experts. Something that was raised during last years round of severe hurricanes.

Patrick MJD
Reply to  Simon
October 10, 2018 10:56 pm

Why?

Simon
Reply to  Simon
October 11, 2018 10:06 am

Why what?

Johann Wundersamer
Reply to  Simon
October 13, 2018 6:18 pm

Simon,

Why “is [it] the speed of development that is interesting hurricane experts.”

– why not –

Carbon Bigfoot
Reply to  meteorologist in research
October 11, 2018 3:28 am

Meteorologist that works in research

Joe Bastardi who works in the real world would dispute that statement–see him at WeatherBell Analytics.
Has anyone seen the Allstate Insurance Commercials where the actor who portrayed the POTUS on TV Drama series 24 make a statement that (26) 500 YEAR EVENTS have occurred in the last TEN (10) YEARS? With the ten year drought in mind how is it he can justify that statement?
If this is world-wide? using this to sell insurance in the US seems disingenuous.

meteorologist in research
Reply to  Carbon Bigfoot
October 13, 2018 10:11 am

Carbon Bigfoot – Mr Bastardi has apparently made up his mind. I haven’t. I don’t know how he’s so sure of his conclusions this early.

I haven’t worked in TV broadcasting since the 1980s.

2hotel9
Reply to  meteorologist in research
October 13, 2018 4:09 pm

Let me help you out! Its not complicated, humans are not causing climate to change, humans can not stop climate from changing. Climate changes, constantly. Get over yourself, you simply are not all that important.

meteorologist in research
Reply to  Carbon Bigfoot
October 13, 2018 4:31 pm

2hotel9 – I never said any of that. Why are you so confused?

2hotel9
Reply to  meteorologist in research
October 13, 2018 4:37 pm

Really? Yet, looking at the facts humans are not causing the climate to change, and we can not stop it from changing. Period. Full stop.

Oop, there it is. Got proof otherwise? Roll it up in a dumpbed in front of my house and drop it off. Till then it is all b*llsh*t. A fake religion. A lie.

2hotel9
Reply to  meteorologist in research
October 13, 2018 6:07 pm

No confusion here, humans can not stop climate from changing and are not causing it to change. Crystal [pruned] clear.

meteorologist in research
Reply to  Carbon Bigfoot
October 13, 2018 4:42 pm

What facts have convinced you?

meteorologist in research
Reply to  Carbon Bigfoot
October 13, 2018 7:59 pm

No facts, merely what you want to believe.

2hotel9
October 10, 2018 9:07 am

Bands of heavy rain into middle Alabama, already have high river levels there and Georgia. We still got a month to go of hurricane season.

Michael Jankowski
October 10, 2018 9:12 am

Models had the path correct from the start…failed miserably with the intensity. Think it was slower thsn projected, which allowed more time for intensification, but still…it was supposed to be a TS or Cat 1, then Cat 2, then Cat 3…now Cat 4 and possible 5, basically with those upgrades daily.

Reply to  Michael Jankowski
October 10, 2018 9:46 am

Just the opposite of Florence, which was supposed to be a Cat 4, but collapsed to a Cat 1, and the track veered off to the south.

Reply to  Michael Jankowski
October 10, 2018 10:49 am

Odd that the hurricane center reports sustained winds of 155 MPH and gusts of 175 MPH, yet Tyndall AFB reports maximum gusts of only 128 MPH and the eye has already passed directly overhead. Either the max wind field is very, very small or some serious over-estimations are going on.

David A
Reply to  co2isnotevil
October 10, 2018 11:52 am

The ground based recordings and observed damage to trees and buildings will likely reflect cat 2 to cat 3 at most. We will see if storm surge hit the 14′ predicted anywhere. It is not accurate to compare today’s storms with past storms before satellite surveillance and numerous air reconnaissance.

Reply to  David A
October 10, 2018 12:10 pm

Yes, the jet stream above is traveling at about 200 MPH, which by the same general criteria means that I must be in a Cat 5+ storm …

It’s similar to picking arbitrary starting points to establish a trend. We are already seeing the downside where more and more people are ignoring warnings knowing that they consistently over-estimate the land strength of storms. The resulting apathy is going to kill people when a legitimate cat5 storm is on the way. Is this what the alarmists are trying to achieve in order to justify their position?

David A
Reply to  co2isnotevil
October 10, 2018 12:07 pm

Not surprising. Expect ground speeds sustained of cat 1 or two and ground damage to reflect that. Comparing past hurricanes to today’s satellite tracked and frequent storm flight monitoring is simply not accurate. Going off of storm surge and land based damage is more accurate. This is a dangerous cat 2 or 3 hurricane based on earlier storms.

David A
Reply to  David A
October 10, 2018 1:40 pm

Sorry about the double post.

Ristvan
Reply to  co2isnotevil
October 10, 2018 12:18 pm

That was before the anemometer broke. And it broke bfore the eye made landfall just to the east.

David A
Reply to  Ristvan
October 10, 2018 12:59 pm

Rustivan, do you have a link to that?

Reply to  Ristvan
October 10, 2018 2:10 pm

I have frequently heard claims that anemometers broke before the worst wind arrived. Who on earth would install an anemometer in a hurricane zone that can’t operate during a hurricane? Sounds fishy…

Reply to  Jeff in Calgary
October 10, 2018 3:27 pm

It’s more likely that the power failed and there was insufficient battery backup and/or there was no network connection. If it’s broken, it’s inoperative, but if it’s inoperative, it’s not necessarily broken.

David A
Reply to  Jeff in Calgary
October 10, 2018 3:28 pm

Yes, yet it happens. Certainly the potential for solid objects to strike is there as well. Ristvan is usually an astute poster.

Would need to know the exact time of claimed breakage to compare to the storm’s rotation and location at that time.

Alan Robertson
October 10, 2018 9:13 am

Meanwhile, it’s been snowing in Raton and up through the Rockies and the Northern prairies.

2hotel9
Reply to  Alan Robertson
October 10, 2018 9:20 am

Here in western PA we are supposed to have a substantial cool down beginning Saturday. I, for one, am ready for it, been a miserable, rainy and humid summer and I am tired of cutting grass!

John Pickens
October 10, 2018 9:21 am

I will eat my hat if sustained wind speeds on land exceed 110mph anywhere in the path of the storm.
Wind speed at 1000 ft. just scares people unnecessarily. And when a big storm really arrives, they will think they “already lived through a Cat 4 storm, and it was no big deal”, and they will be in real danger.

Not that 110mph isn’t bad, but it isn’t as devastating. Now the flooding, that will be a real problem.

Reply to  John Pickens
October 10, 2018 9:46 am

John, they have taken to leaving the public with the aircraft measured speeds starting with Harvey. The alarmist has no scruples and requires monitoring constantly. How can they live with themselves? Deepening designer-brained lefty education over the last 3 generations is bearing sour fruit. Here in Ontario, they recently abolished homework. I’m busy teaching my grandson math, chem and physics.

Joe Crawford
Reply to  Gary Pearse
October 10, 2018 11:01 am

Back in the mid ’90s while sailing in the NW Caribbean we ran into a real character, A retired weather service guy, who’s job was to fly on hurricane hunters and estimate the wind speed by judging the sea state (i.e., the height of the waves and amount of spindrift). We suggested that flying through a hurricane at that low of an altitude must have been fun. He just smiled an poured himself another drink.

Tom in Florida
Reply to  John Pickens
October 11, 2018 4:25 am

John, you want fries with your hat?

Richard Barraclough
Reply to  John Pickens
October 12, 2018 2:31 am

How did the hat taste John Pickens?

“but it isn’t as devastating|”

Just the odd few houses ripped completely from their foundations

Taz1999
October 10, 2018 9:30 am

Closest buoy I can find is 61 kts gust 73

Taz1999
Reply to  Taz1999
October 10, 2018 9:34 am

29.26 in. Buoy number sgof1

taz1999
Reply to  Taz1999
October 10, 2018 2:05 pm

Remembering correctly the instrumentation blew off the NWS station in Miami at 140 mph during Andrew. I remember another set of instrumentation blowing off another NWS facility at 140 also. Coincidence just kind of stuck in my head. Kind of became my benchmark for CAT 4-5 storms. Maybe the instrumentation is more robust these days.

eyesonu
October 10, 2018 9:41 am

I checked NDBC buoy data earlier this morning for Station 42039 located 115 NM SSE of Pensacola. Last update was 4:50 CDT

Click on the icons on the left side of the data list for graphical output. Pressure dropped like a rock to a low of 28.87 so likely eye passed over it or very close. Max sustained wind ESE at 54.4 knots ( 5 meters). Peak gust was 66 knots.

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=42039

F.Leghorn
October 10, 2018 9:46 am

I was in Panama City Florida during hurricane Camille. That was rough. But the surfing was great for several days before and after.

ossqss
October 10, 2018 9:47 am

Last bit of recon still coming in.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/recon/

John Pickens
Reply to  ossqss
October 10, 2018 9:51 am

Where is the 150mph sustained windspeed?

ossqss
Reply to  John Pickens
October 10, 2018 10:01 am

John, you can examine the graphs on the left side of the linked page above. I believe all surface data is extrapolated from flight level.

comment image

Greg S.
Reply to  ossqss
October 10, 2018 11:27 am

Extrapolated figures from flight level measurements/measurements at altitude are never in line with real world wind speed measurements from physical instruments at or very near surface level.

Reply to  Greg S.
October 10, 2018 12:05 pm

There is the SFMR instrument on both NOAA and USAF aircraft. The last pass by the Air Force showed a SFMR surface wind of about 135 kt (155 mph). But we will have to wait for anemometer readings from Tyndal AFB and Panama City. Problem is, at these wind speeds, you often have instrument failures.
Also the Texas Tech team has set up a stick-net of portable wind instruments. But it takes a while for them to make data available.

Reply to  Greg S.
October 10, 2018 1:04 pm

Just checked out Texas Tech’s Facebook page, and it seems they didn’t deploy for Hurricane Michael. Ouch! Here is their reason:

For those wondering, we will not be deploying for #Michael. A few days ago the intensity forecast had too many caveats and questions as to if it would meet our NE Gulf Coast deployment criteria. Once this became more clear yesterday, we felt with the forward speed of Michael we could not deploy safely under a compressed timeline. For us, safety always trumps science. Unfortunately these are the factors we must consider given the significant driving time between Lubbock and the Gulf Coast. Other factors also include personnel time and funding support for the program. Good luck, collect great data, and stay safe to the other research teams deploying!

ossqss
Reply to  John Pickens
October 10, 2018 10:06 am

And there is also the dropsonde data available on the same page.

garyh845
October 10, 2018 9:50 am

This is a fun site – live storm chasers. https://livestormchasing.com/map

Green dots are live video – Red are off-line. looks like only 2 of the storm chasers are on the hot side of this.

garyh845
Reply to  garyh845
October 10, 2018 10:20 am

Bret Adair’s live video – he’s on the SE side of the hurricane – very intense winds in this very moment.

Latitude
October 10, 2018 10:10 am

watch the weather channel live…..
No wonder people don’t take these storms serious and evacuate……
They have reporters in cars riding around, reporters on the beach, all over the place

ossqss
Reply to  Latitude
October 10, 2018 10:22 am

Yep, they are gearing up to do their climate change attribution meme also. I can only take a few minutes of the water closet channel….

Latitude
Reply to  ossqss
October 10, 2018 10:32 am

They do it every time…
Tell people evacuate or die….and then show them all the people standing around in the middle of it reporting it….

Latitude
Reply to  ossqss
October 10, 2018 10:40 am

I”m laughing at the girl TWC has reporting from Panama City Beach…
…and all the people walking around behind her

tweak
Reply to  Latitude
October 10, 2018 11:10 am

You mean the one that was marveling at the lines arcing above her head?

DCA
Reply to  Latitude
October 10, 2018 11:37 am

Why can’t their mics pick up the wind sound?

Tweak
Reply to  DCA
October 10, 2018 12:05 pm

Some of them have.

David Hart
October 10, 2018 10:30 am

Brett made a big mistake by leaving Port St. Joe which is protected by the Cape San Blas barrier island and heading back north towards Mexico Beach which has no protection. His latest video looks like he’s underwater….

Latitude
Reply to  David Hart
October 10, 2018 10:33 am

Mexico beach is the real ground zero

October 10, 2018 10:31 am

Send in the Clowns!!! Weather Clown Rockin’ Mike Seidel that is..

Reply to  Joel O'Bryan
October 10, 2018 12:08 pm

Maybe this time he won’t have to pretend. 😉

tweak
October 10, 2018 11:04 am

Can’t be a Cat 5. I don’t see the Field reporters screaming.

October 10, 2018 11:06 am

It’s annoying the time lag for NWS web data. Viz: it is 1800Z now and the latest I can find for Tyndall AFB https://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KPAM.html is

10 10:56 E 41 G 66 1.13 Heavy Rain Fog/Mist and Windy NA 77 77 100% NA 78 28.97 981.3

So, they had a gale force 8 there but I believe the 10:56 is CDT or 15:56Z, i.e 2 hours ago. This should be one of, if not the, windiest places in the NWS stations, so I’ll keep an eye on it.

Be great if we actually saw sustained hurricane speed there, but I’m not betting on it.

October 10, 2018 11:24 am

I’ve searched many of the weather stations reporting on my Wunderground weather app, and I cannot find one station reporting sustained hurricane force winds, not even gusts above 74 mph. Most stations’ sustained winds are well under 50 mph. I looked near and far to the eyewall, east, NE, north, NW and west as it came ashore directly over Tyndall AFB. After eye passage, Tyndall is reporting 45 mph sustained wind. How can that many stations be that wrong?

Also, the few live webcams in Panama City Beach that are operating show moderate waves, beaches are visible, and there is little damage to beachfront wooden structures.

It seems that satellite and aircraft-borne storm estimates greatly exaggerate the real situation on the ground.

Reply to  pflashgordon
October 10, 2018 11:50 am

pflashgordon: Actually Apalachicola, a bit further east, has had hurricane force gusts and a sustained wind close to Storm Force 11, despite its pressure 986mb being higher that Tyndall’s 981mb:

10 12:53 S 58 G 84 0.25 Heavy Rain and Windy BKN009 OVC015 81 NA NA NA 79 29.12 985.9 0.48

It’s worth keeping an eye [sic] on both of these, but they only seem to update hourly. Or do they just turn them off around hurricane time so the public who pay for them can’t get to see what’s actually happening?

John Pickens
Reply to  See - owe to Rich
October 10, 2018 12:03 pm

Apalachacola pressure minimum was 29.1″Hg at 1:30, Peak sustained winds at 1:18pm of 62mph, with gusts to 72mph. This is Tropical Storm category windspeeds.

Yet, at the same exact time, the NWS/NHC shows maximum sustained winds of 155mph with a rating of Cat 5 Hurricane.

This stinks to high heaven…

Reply to  John Pickens
October 10, 2018 12:16 pm

John, yes it does.

Where do you get your data from? The NWS page I quoted for Tyndall, and likewise for Apalachicola, are not updating, lending support to my surmise that they get “turned off”.

I’m not a U.S. citizen, but if I were I’d be writing to my senator and submitting an FOIA request to see what the data really are for this hurricane, and why they are being suppressed?

Ryan Maue – you may read this thread: what is your take on all this?

Rich.

Reply to  John Pickens
October 10, 2018 12:26 pm

John – hey, great website, thanks! Now bookmarked. And they let you turn off things in their cookies.

Tyndall peaked at 75kt sustained and 112kt gust. So, a nice Category 1 hurricane force, though did the eye pass over Tyndall, or was it windier elsewhere?

David A
Reply to  See - owe to Rich
October 10, 2018 1:44 pm

The eye passed straight through.

Bruce Cobb
October 10, 2018 11:24 am

Ok, all together now:
Michael blow the waves ashore, Hallejulah
Michael blow the waves ashore, Hallejulah
Too soon?

michael hart
Reply to  Bruce Cobb
October 11, 2018 12:21 am

I also have to share a first name with Michael Mann.

eyesonu
October 10, 2018 11:28 am

Perhaps the “models” need a little refining, or much more. Either that or the past few years hurricanes die down at the very sight of land or buoys. Solve the catastrophic damage of hurricane winds by installing buoys lining the shores and create a new Category scale to Category 8 or even 19! It will be unprecedented to have Category 19 hurricanes caused by Global Warming and of course CARBON! Even the heat is hiding in the deep ocean where there are no instruments. Catastrophe is afraid of the data!
Winning again!

Robertfromoz
Reply to  eyesonu
October 11, 2018 1:47 am

Bring back Ludicrous speed.

Kevin
October 10, 2018 12:12 pm

AP stroking for money:
“Scientists say global warming is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme weather, such as storms, droughts, floods and fires. But without extensive study, they cannot directly link a single weather event to the changing climate.”
https://apnews.com/b4a51136559d44f589319ecfbf6f11a9
From the always truthful AP /sac

October 10, 2018 12:14 pm

Hurricane Michael … Michael Mann ?

D. J. Hawkins
Reply to  Petit Barde
October 10, 2018 2:07 pm

Both blowhards: check!
Both not living up to their PR: check!
Both making promises they can’t keep: check!

ren
October 10, 2018 12:17 pm

Damages on the coast and floods will be huge.
comment image
My commiserations.

ren
Reply to  ren
October 10, 2018 12:35 pm

Current location of the fronts over US.
ttps://images.tinypic.pl/i/00972/njyw06qix7ki.png

ren
Reply to  ren
October 10, 2018 12:41 pm

Sorry.
comment image

ren
October 10, 2018 12:27 pm

“Major Hurricane Michael, an unprecedented storm, is slamming the Florida Panhandle as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane. Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, shortly before 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.”

JR Port
Reply to  ren
October 10, 2018 1:07 pm

Utter nonsense…

Reply to  JR Port
October 11, 2018 6:59 am

Really? I’m looking at aerial images of Mexico Beach and large areas of it are trashed!

David Hart
October 10, 2018 12:31 pm

FWIW: Right now there is only one storm chaser streaming and he’s heading east on US 98 through Panama City; it’s a mess.

JimG1
October 10, 2018 12:35 pm

Can’t find any hurricane force winds anywhere along the storm path. Looking on tv weather channel and on the computer and highest sustained wind I’ve seen so far is 63 mph, not even category 1. Where are they measuring these winds? Hype.