This most intense historic hurricane and typhoon share one thing in common:both were October tropical cyclones.Hurricane Wilma lived out its remarkable lifespan back in the record-smashinghurricane season of 2005.
The life of Wilma began over the western Caribbean Sea on Oct. 15 as TropicalDepression Twenty-Four followed by tropical storm designation on the 17th.
Wilma then exploded in fury over the northwestern Caribbean on Oct. 18 and 19culminating in Category 5 status with minimum pressure bottoming at 882millibars. At the time, highest sustained winds were estimated to be 184 mph,although the highest measured speed was 175.
Wilma clipped Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula with a devastating landfall late onOct. 21. It then veered northeastward to a destructive southwestern Floridalandfall.
The western Pacific Ocean, always a more prolific cyclone breeder that theAtlantic Ocean, has the notoriety of hosting the most intense tropical cycloneknown.
Tip lived as a tropical cyclone for more than two weeks during October 1979.
On Oct. 12, Typhoon Tip reached the fullest of fury with highest sustainedwinds reckoned to be 190 mph.
At the time, lowest sea level pressure bottomed at 870 millibars. Not only wasthis the lowest sea-level pressure ever measured in a tropical cyclone, it wasthe lowest pressure ever recorded at sea level.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews
