Historically, the title of the most powerful hurricane on record is fiercely contested among meteorologists, with candidates from both the Atlantic and Western Pacific basins laying claim depending on the measurement used. Forming in late August, Dorian rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane, boasting maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
Saffir-Simpson Scale Doesn't Capture the Full Power of the Strongest Hurricanes
Dorian's 20-foot storm surge rendered entire neighborhoods uninhabitable, while Tip's immense size dropped torrential rains that caused widespread flooding across Guam and Japan. Tip holds the record for the largest tropical cyclone worldwide, with a diameter of wind gusts extending hundreds of miles from its center.
Other Pacific Powerhouses Tip is joined by other formidable Pacific storms in the conversation for the title. More importantly, however, is its central pressure, which plummeted to an astonishing 870 millibars.
Saffir-Simpson Scale Doesn't Capture the Full Power of a Hurricane
The Role of Climate Change. Central pressure is the primary indicator of a hurricane's intensity; the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm's inward pull and the greater its potential for destructive winds.
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