Morris

Even in a year full of RI events, what Gati has done today is extremely impressive. LOOK: Tropical Cyclone 03A (#Gati) "explosively" intensified from a minimal Tropical Storm to a (Category 3-equivalent) Severe Cyclonic Storm in just 12 hours. According to JTWC, it is now bearing down on Somalia with 1-minute maximum sustained winds of up to 185 km/h. https://t.co/IqtOEWXsSS

It seems pretty clear that we have a strong cat 4, with anomalous low pressure.

173600 1327N 08207W 6987 02565 9432 +095 +047 219138 145 132 044 00

Data from NOAA satellites indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 155 mph (245 km/h) with higher gusts. Iota is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Iota could be a catastrophic category 5 hurricane when it approaches Central America tonight, and rapid weakening is expected after landfall.

7:00 AM EST Mon Nov 16 Location: 13.5°N 81.6°W Moving: W at 10 mph Min pressure: 925 mb Max sustained: 155 mph

1:00 AM EST Mon Nov 16 Location: 13.5°N 80.7°W Moving: W at 10 mph Min pressure: 945 mb Max sustained: 125 mph

945mb on the VDM

102kts on the dropsonde as well in the NE eyewall.

112kts unflagged SFMR!!

122kts FL, 100kts unflagged SFMR.

943mb extrapolated. WOW!!

Eye is really warming now.

Looks amazing now. Only missing colder convection and warmer eye.