The National Hurricane Center’s final report on Hurricane Ian was released earlier this week. It shows that for a short time before landfall it reached category 5, one of just a few hurricanes to do so. In the past, conventional wisdom has said that hurricanes generally weaken as they get close to land due to friction, lower temperatures, and for dynamic reasons. But Ian, like Michael in 2018, managed to strengthen just before it hit the coast due to very warm water in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. In an era of warming ocean temperatures, this may become more common in the future. You can read more about it at AL.com or go directly to the report at AL092022_Ian.pdf (noaa.gov).
