Rita 900 mb central pressure by dropsonde.

[benburch]

According to the reconnaissance pilot just interviewed on NPR.

This storm is intensifying even faster than I feared.

[soleft]

1. If Katrin was on Steroids this one's on PCP

[benburch]

4. sloeft - you are soright.

I know... Black humor coming at a time like this, but if I didn't laugh I'd have to cry.

[Theres-a]

2. Lower than Katrina

:scared: :scared: :scared:

[hippiechick]

3. What does that mean ?

Please explain for us un-scientifically inclined ?

Thanks ! :hi:

[Mr_Spock]

5. Rita is smoking angel dust

:rofl:

[maine_raptor]

6. Bad News

lower eye pressure, stonger storm.

[Endangered Specie]

7. In general, a low pressure = storms

a really low pressure = hurricance
the lower the pressure the worse the hurricane... and Katrina's lowest (worst) was 902mb.

[Horse with no Name]

8. Basically means that if it keeps dropping pressure

this will be a worse storm than Katrina and will rival Camille.

[zapp]

9. Basically.........

The lower the barometric pressure, the higher the intensity. 900 millibars is incredibly strong.

[benburch]

10. That this is a motherfucker of a storm. A killer.

And that anybody within its projected path should leave or prepare to die.

[zapp]

22. Ben, th chat?

[Walt Starr]

11. Air pressure is measured in millibars of mercury

At sea level and normal air pressure, it measures 1000 millibars.

By comparison, Katrina at her worst was 902 millibars.

The worst hurricane in history was 892 millibars.

The worst Supertyphoon in history was 870 millibars.

[berni_mccoy]

15. The lowest recorded pressure is 869.96... lower = bad (very bad)

From wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_pressure

"The lowest recorded non-tornadic atmospheric pressure, 86.996 kPa (869.96 mbar or 25.69 inHg), occurred in the Western Pacific during Typhoon Tip on 12 October 1979."

[Theres-a]

18. Here's a good thread on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4838725&mesg_id=4838725

[Esra Star]

28. If a pressure variation develops in the atmosphere, then air will

move towards this partial vacuum. The lower the relative pressure
the more air will move and faster.
When it all meets at the low pressure point, it basically all can't fit so it does this swirling dance.
Then it becomes a whole other ball game.
What amazes me is when you see the video from space, it appears not to be moving at all. As if it is a still picture. It is hard to imagine that there are winds of 260K going on.
Batten down and take care.

[Mutley]

12. Its at 900mb?!? Edit: According to this it's 914mb

Which is still amazing. It was 934(?) just a couple of hours ago. :scared:

[benburch]

14. Thats what he said. nt

[Nay]

43. I heard it too -- 900 -- on NPR, and reported that in another thread.

[maine_raptor]

13. Could it get lower than the 1935 storm? Not that much further to go.

[Walt Starr]

16. Supertyphoon Tip measured at 870 millibars... n/t

[Mr_Spock]

20. How low was that?

Curious?

[Walt Starr]

25. 892 millibars. n/t

[benburch]

21. I expect it to.

Nothing but fuel out there.

It will weaken some time tonight as the eyewall reforms. But after that... The sky is the limit.

[tnlefty]

31. Curious, why does the eyewall reform?

I remember reading about this during Katrina and that it was supposed to be an important measure of something to follow. Please inform the ignorant.

[benburch]

33. As it spins faster and faster...

It gets smaller and smaller...

Eventually the centripetal force overcomes the pressure and it tears apart and then reforms.

While it is reforming, the storm weakens, but it intensifies quickly once it reforms.

[tnlefty]

35. Thanks.

After reforming do storms usually intensify or can they weaken and remain weaker? (Just trying to hope, I guess.)

[benburch]

37. Depends on the "fuel" and the wind shear.

In this case there is lots of fuel (very warm water) and almost no shear.

[Beaverhausen]

17. Is there such a thing as a Category 6?

How much lower can the pressure go?

[Walt Starr]

24. Supertyphoon Tip measured in at 870 millibars

190 mph sustained winds.

Was basically the size of the Western United States. The circulation was measured at 1350 miles from the center on October 12, 1979.

[Zynx]

38. Tip was a beast. I've only seen a couple satellite pictures of it.

It doesn't even look like a normal storm.

[Az_lefty]

45. Here's Tip...

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tropics/tip.htm

[benburch]

30. No, 5 is the top of the scale. nt

[stevedeshazer]

19. That approaches "lowest ever" barometric pressure

And we're still 2-3 days away from landfall.

How low can it go? :scared:

[QC]

23. Camille was 905mb!

We are about to see something truly disastrous.

[Walt Starr]

26. Kick

She's gonna be a bad ass...

[emald]

27. 888 mbar was the alltime lowest

and this one is approaching it. wow. so this is number two how many more?

[jus_the_facts]

29. Interesting Nasa link about eye-wall hot towers...re: Katrina.....

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/rita_hot_towers.html

New satellite observations show towering thunderclouds, sometimes called hot towers, that may signify the onset of intensification in these high-octane storms.

[Justitia]

32. Y'all are officially scaring the shit outta me, I'm in a Houston highrise

Does anyone have any reliable info about windows on highrises during hurricanes??? I'm about 25 stories up!

:scared:

[benburch]

34. Leave.

Do not stay. Go. See if you can get a hotel room in Austin or DFW. You have less than 48 hours to get out. Take your pets. Take anything you cannot replace.

If you are going to stay, make out your will.

[Sabriel]

36. Here's info about what happened at the NO Hyatt

http://www.nola.com/hurricane/t-p/katrina.ssf?/hurricane/katrina/stories/083005_a15_hotels.html

[Zynx]

39. Get out of there. Those windows will explode.

The Hyatt in NO had virtually every window blown completely out. Winds at any elevated level are significantly stronger than surface-level winds from the same storm.

[KittyWampus]

40. High Rise Buildings = Wind Tunnels Channeling & Strengthening Wind

[Silverhair]

41. Get out NOW.

No ifs. No ands. No buts. LEAVE !!!! NOW !!!!

Twenty five stories up exposes you to greater winds than being on the ground does.

[dave29]

42. go go go go go

do not hesitate.

[Nay]

44. Get the fuck out now! You don't want to be there during this, believe

me! I'm a native Floridian, and I mean it when I say RUN LIKE HELL.:scared: