Patricia

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:38 pm

Biggest hurricane.............ever.

Batten down the hatches, and good luck.

I trust victims are aware that there are no weather changes involved.

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:03 pm

I'd say that will be a rather impressive change in weather, given that just the other day it was warm and sunny with fairly calm seas.

Smaug · Post by **Smaug** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:20 pm

I remember reading a book by James Herbert called "Portent", and one of the first big events in the sequence of natural disasters was a hurricane of incredibly destructive force, with an eye-wall pressure of about 860 millibars - not much lower than Patricia is at present! It has been remarked upon before that fiction writers have this uncanny knack of 'hitting the nail on the head'. Think I might read this book again, and get really 'spooked out'! If you like a good horror story, this is definitely worth a read.

I just hope that Mama Pitie doesn't really exist somewhere......:yh_nailbi

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:14 am

It seems that whenever there's a hurricane it always seems to report as being the biggest one on record. Obviously, this is only definitive of being when records began, but even putting that pedantic point aside, it makes one wonder if these extreme weather incidents really are becoming more extreme, and what connection this has to Climate Change.

Smaug · Post by **Smaug** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 5:59 am

I watched a TV programme on this very subject a few years ago, and it was postulated that our 'extreme' weather is actually more normal than we would believe, simply because the particulate pollution in the atmosphere caused by the industrial revolution and the heavy industries earlier in the 20th century is now dispersing, resulting in clearer skies, thus permitting a stronger light from the sun to reach Earth, which in turn drives 'the climate machine' in a stronger manner. Whether (apologies for the pun) this is true is open to debate, but it might have a bearing on our current climate.

I cannot for the life of me remember the name of this programme. Can anyone supply a name for it? I'd be grateful if so.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 7:08 am

How has the particulate pollution dispersed ?

China alone throws up more than enough today to make up for the formerly more widely spread pollution, the scale has increased massively............ I would guess.

Super Hurricane is now downgraded to Tropical storm.

Smaug · Post by **Smaug** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 7:20 am

It's not my theory Bruv, it was postulated on the programme I mentioned. I would imagine that the 'old' particulates have been 'rained out' by now, though I completely agree about Chinese pollution, and it's scale!

I'm relieved for Mexico, insomuch as Patricia's now 'only' a tropical storm. Interesting that it's travelling the opposite way to most storms that trouble the region.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 8:07 am

FourPart;1488081 wrote: It seems that whenever there's a hurricane it always seems to report as being the biggest one on record. Obviously, this is only definitive of being when records began, but even putting that pedantic point aside, it makes one wonder if these extreme weather incidents really are becoming more extreme, and what connection this has to Climate Change.

There were a number of hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific this last year, but this is the only one to be mentioned as the biggest on record all year. The one before that which was given such a claim was a Typhoon that hit the Philippines earlier, which was one of several to do so in the last year.

Probably, though, only the ones worthy of such claims ever reach the media in your part of the world. Over here, we have to deal with all of them, large or small.

There may be no real connection at all between larger storms and Climate change. They are still somewhat rare. But, of course, the media will always seek an angle to sell stories.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 1:04 pm

That's why I was questioning the veracity of it being the biggest 'since records began' Also, what determines 'biggest'. It is area coverage or wind speed at it's recorded peak?

Records themselves are funny things. Take, for instance human achievement records. At one time it was considered that the 4 minute mile could never be reached. Then Roger Bannister did it. These days it seems to be pretty much the norm, and more records are being broken all the time. It makes you wonder how long it will be before we reach the supersonic mile.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 1:20 pm

FourPart;1488134 wrote: That's why I was questioning the veracity of it being the biggest 'since records began' Also, what determines 'biggest'. It is area coverage or wind speed at it's recorded peak?

Records themselves are funny things. Take, for instance human achievement records. At one time it was considered that the 4 minute mile could never be reached. Then Roger Bannister did it. These days it seems to be pretty much the norm, and more records are being broken all the time. It makes you wonder how long it will be before we reach the supersonic mile.

Well, "Biggest" is seldom used when referring to such storms, and Size is not nearly as important as the localized intensity of the thing. The more important factor is the maximum sustainable wind speeds, and the area that these winds cover, as well as the Barometric readings associated with the eye of the storm.

205 mph wind speed in such an enormous storm is very remarkable.

Most meteorologists are hoping that this is a record that remains unchallenged for a long time.