Kocet's Corner

All hurricanes are a product of heat energy stored in warm tropical waters.This energy is released into a developing storm through evaporation thencondensation. The warmer the sea surface, the greater the potential for heat tobe liberated into the atmosphere. The warming that occurs through the interiorof a developing tropical storm creates a temperature, and thus a pressure,gradient between itself and the surrounding environment. As long as thisprocess continues, the storm either maintains its current strength orintensifies even more. The stages of tropical development in order are wave,depression, storm and hurricane.

The hurricane frequency curve clearly shows that July is still a slow monththen tropical formation really takes off in August. Why is this? One reason isthat the heat stored in the oceans reaches a maximum from August intoSeptember. Another important factor are mid-latitude westerly winds which areless competitive in the tropics later in summer.

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis became the most intense hurricane to form in theAtlantic Basin during July. That title was stripped away a mere six days laterby Hurricane Emily. On July 16, Emily reached Category 5 intensity and becamethe only July hurricane ever to do so.

Dennis and Emily were just two players in what turned out to be the mostprolific hurricane season of all time. In all, there were 28 storms, seven ofwhich became major hurricanes (at least Category 3). Five of those reachedCategory 4 intensity, and four out of the five turned into Category 5 storms.

The Category 5 storms that occurred that season were Emily, Katrina, Rita andWilma. Wilma earned top honors by becoming the most intense hurricane ever inthe Atlantic Basin with peak sustained winds of 185 miles per hour and acentral pressure of 26.06 inches.

Typhoon Tip is still the holder of the world record with peak sustained windsof 190 miles per hour and a central pressure of 25.69 inches.

Another interesting fact is that three of the 10 most intense Atlantichurricanes on record occurred in 2005.

Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.