Hurricane Wilma?

Question

What was so unusal about hurricane wilma's path?

Normally a hurricane would go west, but wilma took a sharp turn to the right (eastward) when it entered the gulf of mexico.

What was it in the physical environment that could have warranted this forecast?

Answer 1

An unexpected heat or cold front, wind, almost anything.

Answer 2

Wilma set the record for the lowest central pressure recorded in an Atlantic hurricane when the pressure dropped to 884 mbar (26.10 inHg) at 8 a.m. EDT (12:00 UTC) on October 19. The pressure dropped further to 882 mbar (26.045 InHg) three hours later before rising slowly in the afternoon (while the storm remained a Category 5 hurricane). By 11 p.m. EDT (03:00 UTC October 20), Wilma's pressure had risen to 894 mbar (26.40 inHg) as the hurricane weakened to Category 4, with winds of 155 mph (250 km/h). Wilma was the first hurricane ever in the Atlantic Basin (and possibly the first tropical cyclone in any basin), to have a central pressure below 900 mbar (26.58 inHg) while at Category 4 intensity (in fact, only two other Atlantic hurricanes had lower recorded central pressures than Wilma's at this point: the previous record holder, Hurricane Gilbert of 1988, and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935). However, during the time the advisory was issued, the Meteorologist from the National Hurricane Center issuing the official intensity stated he was being conservative in estimating the intensity of the hurricane.

Answer 3

Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane recorded in the Atlantic basin. It devastated parts of the Yucatán Peninsula and southern Florida during October in the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Wilma set numerous records for both strength and seasonal activity. Wilma was only the third Category 5 ever to develop in the month of October and with the formation of Hurricane Wilma, the 2005 season became the most active on record, exceeding the 21 storms of the 1933 season. Wilma was the twenty-second storm (including the subtropical storm discovered in reanalysis), thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking season.

Wilma made several landfalls, with the most destructive effects felt in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. state of Florida. At least 63 deaths were reported, and damage is estimated at over $28.8 billion ($20.6 billion in the US; 2005 US dollars)[1], ranking Wilma among the top 5 costliest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic and the third costliest storm in U.S. history. Wilma also affected eleven countries with winds or rainfall, more than any other hurricane in recent history.

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Answer 4

It really wasn't that unusual. Most all hurricanes head west, then make a turn toward toward the east. Cold fronts and the jet stream makes hurricanes turn like that. Cold fronts come from the west, and hurricanes move west, so once that hurricane nears the front, it can't go though it, so it turns. Fronts are stronger than hurricanes, therefore pushes it out

Answer 5

Actually, the weather patterns over the years have shown drastic changes to storms, which is why meteorologists and scientists are blaming it on global warming which is the cause of people using cars and coal factories and other such things.