Hurricane Irma seen from the International Space Station
Irma has now officially become the most powerful hurricane in history created in the Atlantic. With some sustained winds of almost 300km / h, and a size similar to that of France, continues its advance causing great damage. Its strength is so great that even seismographs can notice its presence. It has already touched the Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda. And right now it is heading towards Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the State of Florida.
The mayor of Miami-Dade, Carlos Giménez, has assured that "Hurricane Irma represents a serious threat to Florida, South-Dade and our area in particular"There are mass evacuation orders in various areas. Also they have provided a map For residents of Miami and surrounding areas, evacuation zones are being advised, based on the risk of remaining there during the hurricane's likely passage. In addition to strong winds, heavy rains and dangerous flooding are expected wherever it passes.
The perfect conditions that have given rise to Irma
According to the warnings of meteorologists, and even the state of emergency, they assure that its impact could be much more catastrophic than expectedA good example is Harvey, which underwent very strong intensification before making landfall. Irma, despite having reached Category 5 status, doesn't seem to follow the normal pattern of other Atlantic hurricanes. Usually, when a hurricane had reached the maximum category, they tended to be more "fragile," and a rare phenomenon always remained. Irma has endured.
Among the most relevant factors, the sea temperature is between 1 and 1ºC warmer, which makes it a stronger hurricane. The wind shear is low, that is, the air can move more freely up and out. No Sahara dust clouds circulating in the Atlantic, and it's fast enough that the warm water rising from the hurricane has an impact on its temperature. In addition to the fact that she has not yet touched down, all these factors have played a role in helping Irma become what she is.
The question that remains, and is also being discussed lately, is: will the Saffir-Simpson scale have to be upgraded to Category 6? Furthermore, Hurricane Irma continues to advance and it is important to be aware of its trajectory. Furthermore, it is essential to consider the characteristics of the hurricane in relation to other phenomena, as shown by the analyses carried out on Hurricane Maria, to understand the behavior of storms this season. Also, the history of destructive hurricanes gives us context about the magnitude of Irma.