The Lowest Pressure Hurricanes Ever Recorded
The lowest pressure ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane is 882 mb, in Hurricane Wilma on October 19, 2005. Worldwide, the record is 870 mb in Typhoon Tip in the western Pacific in 1979, and the lowest in the Western Hemisphere is 872 mb in Hurricane Patricia in 2015.
Central pressure is the most reliable way to compare hurricanes, because it is measured directly by instruments dropped from aircraft into the eye. Below are the twelve most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, ranked by lowest pressure.
| Rank | Hurricane | Areas Hit | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hurricane Wilma2005 | Mexico, Cuba, Florida | 882 mb |
| #2 | Hurricane Gilbert1988 | Jamaica, Mexico | 888 mb |
| #3 | Labor Day hurricane1935 | Florida Keys | 892 mb |
| #4 | Hurricane Melissa2025 | Jamaica, Cuba | 892 mb |
| #5 | Hurricane Rita2005 | Texas, Louisiana | 895 mb |
| #6 | Hurricane Milton2024 | Florida | 895 mb |
| #7 | Hurricane Allen1980 | Caribbean, Mexico, Texas | 899 mb |
| #8 | Hurricane Camille1969 | Mississippi | 900 mb |
| #9 | Hurricane Katrina2005 | Louisiana, Mississippi | 902 mb |
| #10 | Hurricane Mitch1998 | Central America | 905 mb |
| #11 | Hurricane Dean2007 | Caribbean, Mexico | 905 mb |
| #12 | Hurricane Maria2017 | Dominica, Puerto Rico | 908 mb |
Atlantic basin only. Lower pressure means a more intense hurricane. Standard pressure at sea level is about 1013 mb.
Which hurricane had the lowest pressure ever recorded?
In the Atlantic, Hurricane Wilma at 882 mb in 2005. Its pressure fell by about 97 mb in 24 hours, the fastest drop ever recorded in an Atlantic hurricane. In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Patricia reached 872 mb in 2015.
What is the lowest pressure ever recorded on Earth?
The lowest sea-level pressure ever measured outside a tornado is 870 mb, in Typhoon Tip over the western Pacific on October 12, 1979. Tip was also the largest tropical cyclone on record, with a wind field about 1,380 miles across.
Why does lower pressure mean a stronger hurricane?
Wind is air moving from high pressure toward low pressure. The lower the pressure in the eye compared with the air around the storm, the steeper that difference and the faster the air rushes in. Pressure and wind do not line up perfectly, though. A large hurricane can have a very low pressure spread over a wide area with lower peak winds than a smaller, tighter storm.
Which hurricane hit the US with the lowest pressure?
The 1935 Labor Day hurricane, which crossed the Florida Keys at 892 mb. Hurricane Camille is second, at 900 mb when it hit the Mississippi coast in 1969.
How These Are Ranked
Hurricanes are ranked by the lowest central pressure in the official best-track record, in millibars (mb), which are the same unit as hectopascals (hPa). Ties are listed in date order. Pressures before the 1940s, when aircraft reconnaissance began, come from ship and land observations and can be less certain.
More Hurricane Records
Sources & Citations
- National Hurricane Center. "Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Wilma." nhc.noaa.gov
- National Hurricane Center. "Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Patricia." nhc.noaa.gov
- Wikipedia. "List of the most intense tropical cyclones." en.wikipedia.org