Published: October 4,2016
Hurricane Matthew has already made history thanks to its persistence and intensity in the Caribbean Sea, and could set a few more Atlantic Basin records in the days ahead.
(MORE: Matthew Tracker Page | Hurricane Central)
Colorado State University tropical scientist Dr. Phil Klotzbach has documented many of the rather eye-popping statistics so far. Here is a short rundown of Matthew's records and notables.
Record Longest-Lived Category 4-5 in Eastern Caribbean
Matthew first intensified to a Category 4 hurricane by the 5 p.m. EDT National Hurricane Center advisory on Sept. 30, topping the previous record-long eastern Caribbean Category 4-plus streak of 66 hours set by Flora (1963), David (1979) and Ivan (2004).Record Longest-Lived Category 4-5 in October in the Atlantic Basin
Matthew's Category 4-plus longevity also set a record for the entire month of October anywhere in the Atlantic Basin, according to Klotzbach.In fact, before all is said and done, Matthew may be one of the longest-lived Atlantic major hurricanes - defined as Category 3 or stronger - in the past 50 years of satellite records.
Matthew's resilience has been due to a relative lack of wind shear - a change in wind speed and/or direction with height - and lack of dry air. Matthew also spent little time over Hispañola, tracking over the relatively small land area of Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula, with its inner core of convection holding together nicely despite the mountainous peninsula.
Table of longest-lived Atlantic major hurricanes in satellite era (since 1966). #Matthew currently at 2 days & forecast to last several more
Southernmost Category 5 in Atlantic Basin
Not only did Hurricane Matthew end a nine-year streak without an Atlantic Basin Category 5 hurricane, but it did so at an unusually far south latitude.Matthew was classified as a Category 5 hurricane just before midnight EDT on Sept. 30, with its center at 13.3 degrees north latitude, just 80 miles northwest of Colombia's Guajira Peninsula.
The previous record-holder was Hurricane Ivan, which reached Category 5 status on Sept. 9, 2004 at a latitude of 13.7 degrees north.
#Matthew Intensifies Into a Rare Category 5 Hurricane; Forecast to Turn Toward Jamaica, Cuba. Forecast: http://wxch.nl/2d28PEK
Rare Category 4 Haiti Landfall
Matthew maintained Category 4 intensity upon its brief landfall on Oct. 4 over Haiti's western Tiburon Peninsula.This was the first Category 4 landfall in Haiti in 52 years and was only the fourth such Cat. 4 or 5 hurricane to pass near the western Tiburon Peninsula in records dating to the early 1960s.
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