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In a groundbreaking moment for meteorological research, a dropsonde released from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft recorded an unprecedented wind speed of 252 mph during a mission into Hurricane Melissa. This measurement sets a new record for the strongest hurricane wind ever documented.
This extraordinary gust surpasses the previous record of 248 mph, which was observed in the Western Pacific during Typhoon Megi in 2010. The US National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (USNSF NCAR), the originators of the dropsonde technology, confirmed the accuracy of this new record.
Dropsondes, which resemble cans of Pringles, are vital tools in storm research. These small instruments are deployed from aircraft into tropical storms, where they collect essential data on atmospheric conditions such as pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed. The information gathered is crucial for refining weather forecast models.
During Hurricane Melissa’s intense approach toward Jamaica, a team aboard the Hurricane Hunter aircraft deployed several dropsondes into the storm. Among the data collected, one reading stood out—a staggering 252 mph wind speed. This finding marks a new pinnacle in hurricane wind measurement as confirmed by the USNSF NCAR, underscoring the significance of continued advancements in meteorological technology.
When a fleet of dropsondes were launched from the Hurricane Hunter plane into a raging Hurricane Melissa on its approach to Jamaica, researchers aboard the plane noticed a measurement that caught their attention; an astonishing 252 mph wind reading, the strongest hurricane wind ever captured by a dropsonde, according to the USNSF NCAR.
Upon receiving the potentially record-breaking reading via satellite, the National Hurricane Center contacted researchers at the USNF NCAR to verify the statistic.
After running the dropsonde reading through a series of tests, no anomalies were found, and the new record for the strongest hurricane-force wind had officially been verified.
Verifying wind readings through rigorous testing is a necessity in determining the validity of a gust, and in the past would-be records were thrown out for not meeting the required standard.
According to the USNSF NCAR, a potential record-breaking gust from Hurricane Katrina was thrown out when substantial issues were found in the recording process.
After deployment, dropsondes deploy a parachute and record measurements two to four times per second as they drift through the hurricane, gathering the essential statistics forecasters use to track the movement of the storm and issue alerts in affected locations.
The 252 mph wind reading was measured right before the dropsonde plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, in an extremely dangerous environment virtually impossible to measure using any other means.
The verified wind reading is just another record-breaker associated with Hurricane Melissa, a deadly category 5 monster hurricane that is tied for the strongest Atlantic Hurricane to make landfall on record.