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Hurricane Melissa

AF308 (Mission 20) should be back in the eye now. (I fired up Google Earth with the recon kmz - I had forgotten how cool that is.)
 
Code:
Product: Air Force Temp Drop (Dropsonde) Message (UZNT13 KNHC)
Transmitted: 27th day of the month at 13:32Z
Agency: United States Air Force
Aircraft: Lockheed WC-130J Hercules with reg. number AF98-5308
Storm Name: Melissa
Storm Number: 13 (flight in the North Atlantic basin)
Mission Number: 20
Observation Number: 13

Part A...

Date: Near the closest hour of 13Z on the 27th day of the month
Highest Mandatory Level For Which Wind Was Reported: 850mb
Coordinates: 16.4N 78.0W
Location: 137 statute miles (220 km) to the SW (215°) from Kingston, Jamaica.
Marsden Square: 044

Surface and Standard Isobaric Surfaces
Level    Geo. Height    Air Temp.    Dew Point    Wind Direction    Wind Speed
1000mb     This level does not exist in this area of the storm above the surface level.
930mb (27.47 inHg)     Surface (Sea Level)     25.2°C (77.4°F)     25.2°C (77°F)     345° (from the NNW)     141 knots (162 mph)
925mb     44m (144 ft)     24.4°C (75.9°F)     23.4°C (74°F)     350° (from the N)     161 knots (185 mph)
850mb     784m (2,572 ft)     21.0°C (69.8°F)     21.0°C (70°F)     55° (from the NE)     157 knots (181 mph)
700mb     2,452m (8,045 ft)    Other data not available.

Information About Radiosonde:
- Launch Time: 12:55Z
- About Sonde: A descending radiosonde tracked automatically by satellite navigation with no solar or infrared correction.

Remarks Section...

Dropsonde Location: Dropped in eyewall 45° (NE) from the eye center.

Highest altitude where wind was reported:
- Location: 16.43N 78.04W
- Time: 12:55:46Z

Lowest altitude where wind was reported:
- Location: 16.35N 78.19W
- Time: 13:00:08Z

Mean Boundary Level Wind (mean wind in the lowest 500 geopotential meters of the sounding):
- Wind Direction: 15° (from the NNE)
- Wind Speed: 182 knots (209 mph)

Deep Layer Mean Wind (average wind over the depth of the sounding):
- Wind Direction: 60° (from the ENE)
- Wind Speed: 136 knots (157 mph)
- Depth of Sounding: From 705mb to 930mb

Average Wind Over Lowest Available 150 geopotential meters (gpm) of the sounding:
- Lowest 150m: 151 gpm - 1 gpm (495 geo. feet - 3 geo. feet)
- Wind Direction: 0° (from the N)
- Wind Speed: 171 knots (197 mph)

Sounding Software Version: AEV 40001

Part B: Data for Significant Levels...

Significant Temperature And Relative Humidity Levels
Level    Air Temperature    Dew Point
930mb (Surface)     25.2°C (77.4°F)     25.2°C (77°F)
924mb     24.4°C (75.9°F)     21.5°C (71°F)
920mb     23.4°C (74.1°F)     21.9°C (71°F)
850mb     21.0°C (69.8°F)     21.0°C (70°F)
702mb     13.4°C (56.1°F)     13.4°C (56°F)

Significant Wind Levels
Level    Wind Direction    Wind Speed
930mb (Surface)     345° (from the NNW)     141 knots (162 mph)
928mb     350° (from the N)     141 knots (162 mph)
927mb     350° (from the N)     150 knots (173 mph)
923mb     355° (from the N)     175 knots (201 mph)
907mb     15° (from the NNE)    210 knots (242 mph)
901mb     15° (from the NNE)     193 knots (222 mph)
896mb     20° (from the NNE)     191 knots (220 mph)
894mb     25° (from the NNE)     185 knots (213 mph)
888mb     25° (from the NNE)     191 knots (220 mph)
883mb     30° (from the NNE)     178 knots (205 mph)
877mb     30° (from the NNE)     170 knots (196 mph)
872mb     35° (from the NE)     175 knots (201 mph)
868mb     40° (from the NE)     172 knots (198 mph)
865mb     40° (from the NE)     179 knots (206 mph)
861mb     40° (from the NE)     174 knots (200 mph)
858mb     45° (from the NE)     176 knots (203 mph)
857mb     45° (from the NE)     172 knots (198 mph)
856mb     50° (from the NE)     158 knots (182 mph)
854mb     55° (from the NE)     155 knots (178 mph)
850mb     55° (from the NE)     157 knots (181 mph)
764mb     90° (from the E)     154 knots (177 mph)
738mb     100° (from the E)     140 knots (161 mph)
705mb     115° (from the ESE)     155 knots (178 mph)

Winds at a particular level are peak winds since a dropsonde only records momentary slices of data at each level as it falls through the atmosphere. These winds are not 1 minute sustained.

The highest wind observed in the "Significant Wind Levels" section is noted in bold.
 
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