38-Foot Waves: Hurricane Igor Closes In On Buoy
UPDATE: The NDBC says that the missing wave measurement was garbled, but their backup system said 11.3 meters (37.07 feet), so it was not higher than the good reading of 37.7. By the way, Igor is larger than both Katrina and Ike for Tropical Storm Force Winds, at 500 miles wide. Typhoon Tip, the strongest storm in the *world* was only 675 miles wide!
UPDATE 7 AM 9/17: The buoy came very close to the center of the storm last night, with the southwest eyewall passing over it.
From the data you see up front on the NDBC site, winds ended up gusting to 96 mph yesterday evening. Pressure fell to 941.9 mb or 27.81" Hg. The top waves were 37.7 feet. However, there was a "missing" observation after those readings, which could indicate higher numbers that were cut off by quality-control algorithms. The National Hurricane Center says (english units are mine based on their conversion page):
"THE EYE OF IGOR IS PASSING VERY NEAR NOAA BUOY 41044. THROUGH 0200 UTC...THE 5-METER HIGH ANEMOMETER ON THE BUOY HAS REPORTED PEAK 1-MINUTE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 69 KT [79 MPH] WITH A GUST TO 91 KT [105 MPH]. A MINIMUM PRESSURE OF 940.3 MB [27.76" HG] WAS RECORDED AT 0050 UTC WITH WINDS AROUND 60 KT. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE MINIMUM PRESSURE IS AROUND 935 MB. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE AND RELATIVELY SLOW MOTION OF THE HURRICANE...THE BUOY HAS NOW REPORTED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS FOR 21 CONSECUTIVE HOURS."
This data is from the "Supplemental Data" file on NDBC's site, which registers maximum wind and minimum pressure.
UPDATE 7 PM: Winds now gusting to 89 mph with waves of 37.7 feet.
UPDATE 3 PM: Winds are now gusting to 79 mph with waves of 36 feet.
12 PM: Category 4 Hurricane Igor's center is approaching the government buoy #41044 this morning - the same buoy that saw 40-foot waves from Hurricane Bill in 2009.
So far today, pressure is plunging, waves are over 32 feet and winds are gusting up to 67 mph, but the buoy is on the weaker side of the storm. Stay tuned to this blog later today for updates.
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