Emily Upgraded to Category 5

[Alex Fisher]

The NHC has upgraded Emily to a category 5 in their report, saying that it briefly reached sustained winds of 140kts on July 17th. That would make for 4 separate category 5 hurricanes in the 2005 hurricane season. Incredible.

 

[Austin Ivey]

The NHC has upgraded Emily to a category 5 in their report, saying that it briefly reached sustained winds of 140kts on July 17th. That would make for 4 separate category 5 hurricanes in the 2005 hurricane season. Incredible.
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That is incredible. That means there were 4 times as many category 5 storms in 2005 than the climate record would suggest. Since 1886 the Atlantic basin has averaged 1 category 5 storm every 5 years or so.

 

[MClarkson]

One must consider however that before the age of aircraft and satellites many, perhaps most, category 5 hurricanes would have existed without their intensities being properly known.

 

[Austin Ivey]

One must consider however that before the age of aircraft and satellites many, perhaps most, category 5 hurricanes would have existed without their intensities being properly known.
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True, but one can only rely on the best record available...which is the official database from the NHC.