Cat 5 Hurricane Katrina

[Hemlock]

Winds are 160 mph, Cat 5's start at 155 mph so still a Cat 5 but should weaken soon

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Fox news report from the NHC said 145mph winds making it a Cat 4.

[rixxxgolf]

The west side has been dented by a trough or ridge, this may now help the storm spin tighter!

[Hemlock]

One part of me would love to be there to see it's power, but the other part of me is very glad to be sat here watching it on my laptop 1000's of miles away with just a light breeze outside.

[rixxxgolf]

Would love to see the power, but, oddly the side collapse is now affecting the eye wall, this may also make the break NO needs.

[Kain]

Is the side collapsing due to the fact it's over land?

Kain

[Matty M]

I think we could be watching a mini miracle happening..

The west of Katrina has been torn apart and dry air is now

being sucked into the eye. Expect a rapidly dying CAT 3 at landfall...

[*Stormforce~beka*]

Geee its too early to be up lol *Yawn.* Don't think I saw anyone had posted this ... sustained hurricane force winds there now already. The eye based on it slowing down to 11mph is now due to hit land at: 6pm our time ... just under 2 hours time ... Just heard that Tornado warnings are being issued for the eyewall itself as those winds will be like tornados and doing damage as of a tornado ...

000

WTNT32 KNHC 290656

TCPAT2

BULLETIN

HURRICANE KATRINA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 25B

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

2 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE KATRINA BEGINNING TO TURN

NORTHWARD TOWARD SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AND THE NORTHERN GULF

COAST...

...SUSTAINED HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS OCCURRING ALONG THE

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA COAST...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST

FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA

BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO

COMPLETION.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM

EAST OF THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER TO DESTIN FLORIDA...AND FROM

WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM DESTIN FLORIDA

EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...AND FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY

LOUISIANA WESTWARD TO CAMERON LOUISIANA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE

INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED

BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 2 AM CDT...0700Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS

LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 28.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT

70 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

AND ABOUT 130 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA.

KATRINA IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 12 MPH. THIS MOTION IS

FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN FORWARD

SPEED. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT

AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE

WILL BE VERY NEAR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST LATER THIS MORNING.

HOWEVER... CONDITIONS ARE GRADUALLY DETERIORATING ALONG PORTIONS OF

THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST...AND WILL CONTINUE TO

WORSEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 155 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

KATRINA IS NOW A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY

PRIOR TO LANDFALL...BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS

EITHER A CATEGORY FOUR OR POSSIBLY A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE.

WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE

SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR GROUND LEVEL.

KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND

OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE

WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. DURING THE PAST HOUR...A WIND

GUST TO 83 MPH WAS REPORTED FROM A UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN

MISSISSIPPI BUOY LOCATED JUST EAST OF THE CHANDELEUR ISLANDS...A

GUST TO 75 MPH WAS REPORTED AT GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA...AND A WIND

GUST TO 60 MPH WAS REPORTED IN NEW ORLEANS.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE

RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 910 MB...26.87 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE

LEVELS...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 28 FEET...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS

BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE

CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. SOME LEVEES IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA

COULD BE OVERTOPPED. SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL OCCUR

ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST.

NOAA BUOY 42040 LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER RECENTLY REPORTED WAVES HEIGHTS OF AT LEAST 40

FEET.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF

15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF KATRINA ACROSS THE GULF

COAST AND THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES

ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES

REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

THE TORNADO THREAT AHEAD OF KATRINA IS INCREASING AND SCATTERED

TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND OVER THE FLORIDA

PANHANDLE TONIGHT.

REPEATING THE 2 AM CDT POSITION...28.2 N... 89.6 W. MOVEMENT

TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED

WINDS...155 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 910 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

AT 4 AM CDT.

FORECASTER STEWART

So just to clarify that ... ''130 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA'' and KATRINA IS NOW MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 12 MPH.

This was issued at 2am that was 8am here. So 130 \ 12 = 10.8

So between 10 - 11 hours time the eye will land, Between 6 -7 pm.

Gee what on earth made it slow down so much?????

[Kain]

Maybe it slowed due to ERC?

Kain

[*Stormforce~beka*]

I think we could be watching a mini miracle happening..

The west of Katrina has been torn apart and dry air is now

being sucked into the eye. Expect a rapidly dying CAT 3 at landfall...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes just heard on the TV Link below that now its on land it is also dragging and slowing the hurricane down ... The saying GOD moved in Mysterious ways comes to mind!!!!!

Wibs sweety look here: http://www.wwltv.com/perl/common/video/wmP...&props=livenoad

Just keep trying too me about 6 or more reloads and new pages to get that thing working!! Guess everyone watching it around the whole world eh ...

[*Stormforce~beka*]

20 minutes til next update ... at about 10am ...

[pinball wizard]

Mornin everyone, so is this a cat4 or cat5? bbc say cat 4 as do fox, however have read reports that wind is still 155 -160 mph.

[Kain]

I think it's teetering between a Cat 4 and 5

Kain

[*Stormforce~beka*]

Mornin everyone, so is this a cat4 or cat5? bbc say cat 4 as do fox, however have read reports that wind is still 155 -160 mph.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Reading what NOAA say looks like its hovering on the boundary right now!!! LOL ...

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 155 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

KATRINA IS NOW A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY

PRIOR TO LANDFALL...BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS

EITHER A CATEGORY FOUR OR POSSIBLY A CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE

[Arrows]

i think the winds sustained are at 150mph. gusts around 170mph. so its a cat 4. unlike the others i dont think its breaking up at all but just starting to spin more.

[pinball wizard]

i think the winds sustained are at 150mph. gusts around 170mph. so its a cat 4. unlike the others i dont think its breaking up at all but just starting to spin more.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well I suppose from the people of the USAs point of view its better that its a cat4 rather than cat5.

[Kain]

According to Fox, 5mph of wind wont make much difference to the devastation

Kain

[summer blizzard]

If it's spinning, will that aid in strengthening??????????????????

[Arrows]

Just read this on BBC.

Although the storm has been downgraded from category five to four, forecasters predict it could strengthen again as it hits land at about sunrise (1100 GMT).

Sustained winds are reaching 155mph (250km/h).

{They say a cat 4 but then they say 155mph which would make it a cat 5}

EDIT: When a hurricane spins it kind of spins like a piece of string round a finger, it becomes tighter and more intense

[PersianPaladin]

If it's spinning, will that aid in strengthening??????????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Technically, the hurricane is still feeding moisture and heat from the Gulf of Mexico - so it has no reason to fragment and weaken as of yet.

And yes...as far as i understand it, the spinning of the hurricane system is a small part of the strengthening process...but it also depends on surrounding synoptic conditions.

[summer blizzard]

So we should expect it to bomb again???????????????????

[pinball wizard]

So we should expect it to bomb again???????????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Looks like it

[*Stormforce~beka*]

LATEST ADVISORY:

0

WTNT32 KNHC 290850

TCPAT2

BULLETIN

HURRICANE KATRINA ADVISORY NUMBER 26

NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

4 AM CDT MON AUG 29 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE KATRINA MOVING

NORTHWARD TOWARD SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA AND THE NORTHERN GULF

COAST...

...TROPICAL STORM-FORCE WINDS LASHING THE GULF COAST FROM

SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA TO THE ALABAMA-FLORIDA BORDER...

A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF COAST

FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA

BORDER...INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE COMPLETED THIS

EVENING.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FROM

EAST OF THE ALABAMA/FLORIDA BORDER TO DESTIN FLORIDA...AND FROM

WEST OF MORGAN CITY TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LOUISIANA.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FROM DESTIN FLORIDA

EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA...AND FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY

LOUISIANA WESTWARD TO CAMERON LOUISIANA.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE

INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED

BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 4 AM CDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE KATRINA WAS LOCATED

NEAR LATITUDE 28.8 NORTH... LONGITUDE 89.6 WEST OR ABOUT 90 MILES

SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 120 MILES

SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF BILOXI MISSISSIPPI.

KATRINA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 15 MPH... AND THIS

MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TODAY. A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE

NORTH-NORTHEAST AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED

LATER TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...KATRINA WILL

MOVE ONSHORE THE SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA COAST JUST EAST OF GRAND

ISLE THIS MORNING... AND REACH THE LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI BORDER

AREA THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO STEADILY

DETERIORATE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...SOUTHERN

MISSISSIPPI...AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 150 MPH...240 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER

GUSTS. KATRINA IS A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. SOME FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE LIKELY

PRIOR TO LANDFALL...BUT KATRINA IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS

A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE. WINDS AFFECTING THE UPPER FLOORS OF

HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER THAN THOSE NEAR

GROUND LEVEL.

KATRINA REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND

OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE

WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230 MILES. RECENTLY...A SUSTAINED WIND

OF 53 MPH WITH GUST TO 91 MPH WAS REPORTED AT GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA

...AND A WIND GUST TO 71 MPH WAS REPORTED IN NEW ORLEANS.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE RECENTLY REPORTED BY AN AIR FORCE

RESERVE UNIT RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT WAS 915 MB...27.02 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF 18 TO 22 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE

LEVELS...LOCALLY AS HIGH AS 28 FEET...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS

BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE

CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. SOME LEVEES IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA

COULD BE OVERTOPPED. SIGNIFICANT STORM SURGE FLOODING WILL OCCUR

ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO COAST.

NOAA BUOY 42040 LOCATED ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE

MISSISSIPPI RIVER RECENTLY REPORTED WAVES HEIGHTS OF AT LEAST 46

FEET.

RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF

15 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF KATRINA ACROSS THE GULF

COAST AND THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES

ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES

REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

THE TORNADO THREAT AHEAD OF KATRINA CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND

SCATTERED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER SOUTHEASTERN

LOUISIANA... SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN ALABAMA...AND OVER

THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE.

REPEATING THE 4 AM CDT POSITION...28.8 N... 89.6 W. MOVEMENT

TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 15 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED

WINDS...150 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE... 915 MB.

INTERMEDIATE ADVISORIES WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL

HURRICANE CENTER AT 6 AM CDT AND 8 AM CDT FOLLOWED

BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 10 AM CDT.

FORECASTER STEWART

So on that scale - It is now due to hit land in 6 hours time ... 4pm our time ...

[kold weather]

The storm is certainly bordering,however I think the western side of the system could stop it from being re-upgraded as it really is weak compared tothe east side,its more lop-sided then its been over the last few days,if it can get stablised then 160-165mph is still possible even just a few hours out from landfall..Pressure upto 917mbs,which is still probably just borderline cat-5,which is what it is infact right now.Nonetheless with the pressure still low and SSt's as hot as they will ever get,theres a chance it'll reach 160mph before landfall I suppose,only a chance mind you!

regardless the difference between 155mph and 160mphprobbly isn't that great,worth noting that the eye is now open in the south-western side on radar which probably means its under-going some internal changes which would probably explain why it weakened somewhat overnight.

[Arrows]

Thats the thing. People watching FOX will maybe be mislead because they see the images and nothing amazing is happening as of yet. But think of it like this, the hurricane will intense as the sun rises and gives it heat which should happen in the next hour or so. I think it will upgrade to a cat 5 once again. Also when the very edge of the eye hits that's where the most intense gusts will be. Because of the heat in the sea that's fueled the hurricane to bring 150-170 mile winds for around 12 hours{possible} The most flooding should occure withing the next 6-7 hours

[SxK]

Technically, the hurricane is still feeding moisture and heat from the Gulf of Mexico - so it has no reason to fragment and weaken as of yet.

And yes...as far as i understand it, the spinning of the hurricane system is a small part of the strengthening process...but it also depends on surrounding synoptic conditions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Hurricane is unlikely to strengthen further because the eye wall is open in the south-west corner. If the eye wall were to close it would allow the storm to build in strength again.