Massive 252 MPH Wind Gust Confirmed Within Hurricane Melissa

The records from Hurricane Melissa keep rolling in as meteorologists go back and verify various data points. The latest record details a whopping 252 mph wind gust produced by the Category 5 monster. Read on for a closer look at this wind record, as well as why it will not officially count as an overall world wind record.

Hurricane Melissa Dropsonde Notches 252 MPH Wind Gust

A weather instrument dropped into the middle of Hurricane Melissa's fury measured the highest winds ever recorded with this particular device. The National Center for Atmospheric Research recently confirmed that a 252-mph wind gust was notched during the hurricane, setting a new record for the top wind speed ever recorded by an instrument known as a dropsonde. These weather instruments are released by hurricane hunter aircraft that fly into the middle of tropical weather events to gather crucial forecasting data.

A dropsonde is essentially a self-contained weather station that is attached to a parachute. The instrument is able to measure and report back on a myriad of weather and atmospheric elements as it falls to the Earth's surface. The dropsonde sends this data back to the hurricane hunters, who relay it back to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).