| I used a script to look at 31,173 sondes from the Atlantic, East Pacific and Central Pacific since 1989. I found the 193 mph momentary surface wind recorded by the sonde in Maria Tuesday is the highest during that period, out of sondes that survived to the surface and were able to stay in the eyewall. I posted the following to Twitter tonight. Momentary surface winds of 193 mph measured by sonde in #Maria at 6:24pm AST Tuesday is highest in our database of 31,173 sondes since 1989. This only includes sondes that survived to the surface and recorded a momentary wind speed at the surface level. These were not 1 minute sustained winds. Link to that 168 knot (193 mph) sonde: http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2017&product=sonde&storm=Maria&mission=05&agency=AF&ob=09-19-2220-26-921-169-168 Some data might be missing in our database, which also does not include data before 1989. Includes Atlantic and East/Central Pacific recon. Less sondes dropped in the past, not surviving to surface, or being thrown out of eyewall are likely reasons for not measuring higher winds. The following are sondes that made it to within 10mb of the surface before they stopped reporting and had wind greater than 168 knots. Kenna (2002, East Pacific): Within 8 millibars of surface: 180 knots (207 mph) http://tropicaleastpacific.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=ep&year=2002&product=sonde&storm=Kenna&mission=01&agency=AF&ob=10-24-1857-19-932-189- Dean (2007, Atlantic): Within 3 millibars of surface: 178 knots (205 mph) http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2007&product=sonde&storm=Dean&mission=15&agency=AF&ob=08-21-0728-22-931-178- Rita (2005, Atlantic): Within 4 millibars of surface: 172 knots (198 mph) http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2005&product=sonde&identifier=Rita&aircraft=3&month=09&day=21&mission=WX&agency=NOAA&ob=09-21-1558-11-937-174- Rita (2005, Atlantic): Within 10 millibars of surface: 171 knots (197 mph) http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2005&product=sonde&identifier=Rita&aircraft=3&month=09&day=21&mission=WX&agency=NOAA&ob=09-21-1946-31-940-171- In second place, out of sondes having momentary surface wind reported, Irma (2017, Atlantic) \w 161 knots (185 mph): http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2017&product=sonde&storm=Irma&mission=11&agency=AF&ob=09-06-0158-15-937-184-161 In third place, out of sondes having momentary surface wind reported, Dean (2007, Atlantic) \w 152 knots (175 mph): http://tropicalatlantic.com/recon/recon.cgi?basin=al&year=2007&product=sonde&storm=Dean&mission=06&agency=AF&ob=08-18-1149-04-933-152-152 |