Hurricane hunters traveled into the eye of Lee while it was a massive Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, capturing impressive images and video of the storm.
Lee quickly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane on Thursday before slightly decreasing in wind speed and back into a Category 4.
As a hurricane strengthens, its rotating windfield creates a tight circulation in its core.
The eye of a hurricane is actually calm and clear but surrounded by the hurricane’s strongest winds, which is called the eyewall. That is what you see in the first photo featured below.
More imagery of last night’s flight inside the eye of Cat 5 #hurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/JYkpfiJ244
— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 8, 2023
Data from the hurricane hunters show Lee’s eye was measured at about 17 miles wide.
Video also shows the eye of the storm as lightning illuminates the stadium-like tower of clouds surrounding Lee’s clear and open eye.
For now, hurricane hunters are scheduled to gather data on Lee every six hours.
Lee is forecast to remain a major hurricane through the middle of next week.
Computer models show the storm taking a turn north, away from Florida.
Here’s last night’s flight inside the eye of Cat 5 #hurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/I9Gmy4sHut
— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 8, 2023
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