IF INDEED IOKE MAINTAINS
CATEGORY 4 OR 5 STATUS FOR THE NEXT 96 HOURS...A PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE
RECORDS SHOW THAT THIS COULD BE A WORLD RECORD FOR LONGEVITY OF A CATEGORY
4 OR GREATER STORM.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST FRI AUG 25 2006
...HURRICANE IOKE BECOMES FIFTH
CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE IN CENTRAL PACIFIC AND UNOFFICIALLY HOLD THE LOWEST
SEA LEVEL PRESSURE RECORD IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...
EARLIER TODAY
HURRICANE IOKE STRENGTHENED TO CATEGORY 5 INTENSITY WITH WINDS ESTIMATED
TO BE NEAR 160 MPH. THIS IS THE FIFTH CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE ON RECORD IN
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC...AND THE FIRST ONE SINCE 1994. IOKE IS THE FIRST
STORM TO DEVELOP WITHIN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC AND ACHIEVE CATEGORY 5 STATUS.
JOHN...EMILIA AND GILMA MOVED IN FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC BEFORE
STRENGTHENING...WHILE PATSY CAME IN FROM THE WEST PACIFIC.
IT MUST
BE NOTED THAT TROPICAL CYCLONE RECORDS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC BEFORE THE
EARLY 1960S ARE INCOMPLETE.
THE TOP STRONGEST STORMS ON RECORD IN THE
CENTRAL PACIFIC ARE 1. HURRICANE PATSY - CATEGORY 5 - 150KT/175MPH -
SEPTEMBER 1959 2. HURRICANE JOHN - CATEGORY 5 - 150KT/175MPH - AUGUST 1994
3. HURRICANE EMILIA- CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - JULY 1994 4.
HURRICANE GILMA - CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - JULY 1994 5. HURRICANE IOKE
- CATEGORY 5 - 140KT/160MPH - AUGUST 2006 6. HURRICANE RICK - CATEGORY 4 -
125KT/145MPH - SEPTEMBER 1985 7. HURRICANE INIKI - CATEGORY 4 -
125KT/145MPH - SEPTEMBER 1992 8. HURRICANE FABIO - CATEGORY 4 -
120KT/140MPH - AUGUST 1988
