The 7PM Update for Dean
Update: the National Weather Service now says that a Hurricane Hunter aircraft is reporting sustained winds of 160 mph, making Dean a Category 5 storm [Hauptsturmfury in my terminology].
The National Weather Service isn’t going to give an inch or a measly 1 mph.
At 800 PM EDT the center of Hurricane Dean was located near latitude 18.2 north, longitude 85.1 west or about 210 miles east of Chetumal, Mexico. [Chetumal in on the border with Belize. It is the capital of Quintana Roo state, and has a population of 137,000.]
Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles.
Maximum sustained winds: 155 mph. [Category 5 starts at 156.]
Minimum central pressure: 915 mb. [Without wind data, anything less than 920 would be considered Category 5.]
Movement: West at 19 mph.
