Meteorological History of Hurricane Katrina - First Landfall

First Landfall

As the atmospheric conditions surrounding Tropical Depression Twelve were favorable for tropical development, the system began to intensify and was upgraded to Tropical Storm Katrina on the morning of August 24. A burst of convection allowed Katrina to become the fifth hurricane of the 2005 season on August 25, only two hours before it made landfall around 6:30 p.m. EST (2230 UTC) between Hallandale Beach and Aventura, Florida. Katrina struck the peninsula with 80 mph (130 km/h) winds, and had a well-defined eye on NEXRAD weather radar, which remained intact throughout its passage over Florida. Parts of the Florida Keys experienced tropical storm winds throughout August 26, with the Dry Tortugas briefly experiencing hurricane-force winds.

Read more about this topic:  Meteorological History Of Hurricane Katrina