I have no words to describe what we just saw. Melissa resembled a Pacific typhoon more than an Atlantic hurricane.
Meteorologically it was perfect. The satellite presentation was as jaw-dropping as it gets.
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It was able to fend off any type of disruption from the environment. On two separate occasions the Hurricane Hunters had to bail on their mission because of turbulence.
That RARELY happens.
Lightning was prolific as the storm came ashore signaling intense thunderstorms making up the storm’s eyewall.
On top of all of that, the most important part, the human element. Western Jamaica took the brunt of one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes at landfall on record.
Melissa now ties the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Dorian for strongest storm at landfall with maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour.
Records go back to the late 1800s.
In terms of lowest pressure, Melissa slides into a tie with the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 for the third most intense hurricane on record for the Atlantic basin, landfall or not.
The storm is now gearing up to strike Cuba as a major hurricane.
If you want real-time weather data on the storm visit the News 6 YouTube page to monitor Melissa through the Wednesday.
We’re thinking of out friends in the Caribbean.
Thanks for reading!
- Jonathan
Let me know if there is anything you want to see discussed in a future newsletter entry. My email is jkegges@wkmg.com.
Don’t forget to tune into the nightly weather livestream every Monday through Friday (NOW AT 9:30 p.m.) on the News 6 YouTube channel and ClickOrlando.com. Come with questions or comments!
Catch you soon!
Jonathan
Ways to stay connected this hurricane season
You can log on and chat with me live during our live streaming weather hangout session.
That is every Monday-Friday at 9:30 p.m. To comment, be signed into YouTube and subscribe to the WKMG/ClickOrlando page or click here and become an insider and comment in the live chat box!
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If you live in Central Florida, subscribe to the WKMG/ClickOrlando page.
If you love the weather, whether you’re in Central Florida or not, subscribe to JustWeather!
ClickOrlando.com/hurricane is also a great resource, no matter where you live.
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If you live outside of Central Florida or don’t have cable, first of all, thank you for finding the Tropics Watch newsletter! We have a lot of hurricane season-related content on demand here, and you can watch all of the newscasts LIVE as well. You can download that on your smart TV or other streaming devices.
One last thing. This is a two-way street. I/we are here for you. Any ideas? Like or hate something?
Have any questions? Let me know. Shoot me an email at jkegges@wkmg.com. Find me on Facebook or X.
We’re in this together. We have families here, too. You’re going to get the same info we give to them. Thank you for your trust. We don’t take that responsibility lightly.
OK, now I’m done.
Talk to you soon!
- Jonathan