Record-Breaking Gust From Hurricane Otis
A weather station near Acapulco, Mexico recorded a wind gust of 205 mph as Hurricane Otis made landfall late last month—which, if it’s confirmed, could rank as one of the top ten strongest wind gusts on record. Measuring stronger wind gusts, which tend to be around 20% stronger than sustained speeds, is a tricky business, since extremely strong winds can destroy the equipment measuring those speeds; the Tidal Service said its measuring equipment “was the only element to remain completely standing, since the entire perimeter fence disappeared.” Hurricane Otis shocked forecasters at the speed it rapidly intensified before hitting Acapulco last month, creating what meteorologists called a “nightmare scenario;” the city is still reeling from the impacts as thousands struggle for basic needs and to rebuild.
(Wind gust: Washington Post $, Yale Climate Connections. Hurricane aftermath: Al-Jazeera, The Guardian. Opinion: MSNBC, Deanna Hence column)
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