Wind vs pressure

[f5]

last year there was an odd wind pressure relation as NHC noted in many of the reports for exampe Katrina was 907 mb wind 175 ,165 mph 902 mb at landfall 125 mph 920 mb when an average a 920 mb should be at 155 mph,Rita was at 165 for a while until she hit 897 mb 175 she could of easily had 180-185 mph sustained winds,Wilma at one point was a sub 900 CAT 4.2005 season had low winds but shattered barameteric pressure records.will 2006 be the same way very low pressure storms with low winds for that storms normal pressure?

[Margie]

You must also consider the relationship of the pressure within the hurricane to the area surrounding the storm; you cannot absolutely associate a number of millibars to a specific windspeed. Also at any point in time, winds may be catching up to a recent pressure drop, or vice versa.

[f5]

I reconigze that Katrina had Hurricane force winds 100 miles out from the center Rita was similar those storms looked more like typhoons than Hurricanes beacuse they were so big

[skysummit]

Yea, I wonder if we'll get storms this year with the same size as last year's monsters.

[Aslkahuna]

Although the size is one important parameter, another is the ambient pressure surrounding the storm. Usually the pressures are higher around ATL storms than WPAC storms so consequently the pressures at given intensities is lower in WPAC so if the pressures in the ATL are lower than normal then storms would have less wind at lower pressures. The reverse has been seen in WPAC with late season storms in WPAC as Paka when it hit Guam clearly had winds higher than the pressures would suggest leading JTWC to believe that the higher pressures surrounding late season WPAC storms could mean stronger storms at higher pressures.

Steve

[f5]

i think folks along the gulf coast understand that a large storm like Katrina can produce nuclear like storm surge that can wipe towns like waveland&bay st louis off the face of the earth vs a small storm like Andrew even though he would have higher winds at landfall but the area of hurricane force winds would not be all that large

[vbhoutex]

The whole Carribean basin and most of the Atlantic and Gulf basins were already at lower than normal pressures when season started weren't they? This could account for some of the discrpancies vs the "normal" relationship between wind and pressure.

[Aslkahuna]

I believe pressures in the ATL Basin were indeed lower than normal which was one factor in the high levels of activity. This being the case the normal pressure/wind relationship would not be applicable.

Steve