Hurricane Hattie - Meteorological History

Meteorological History

For several days toward the end of October 1961, a low pressure area persisted in the western Caribbean Sea, north of the Panama Canal Zone. On October 25, an upper-level anticyclone moved near and over the low, and the next day, a trough over the western Gulf of Mexico provided favorable outflow for the disturbance. At 0000 UTC on October 27, a ship in the vicinity of the disturbance reported southerly winds of 46 mph (74 km/h). Later that day, the airport on San Andres Island reported easterly winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The two observations confirmed the presence of a closed atmospheric circulation, located about 70 miles (110 km) southeast of San Andres, or 155 mi (250 km) east of the Nicaragua coast; as a result, the Miami, Florida Weather Bureau office began issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Hattie.

After being classified, Hattie moved steadily northward, passing very near or over San Andres Island. There, a station recorded a pressure of 991 mbar and sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h), which indicated that Hattie reached hurricane status. Late on October 28, a Hurricane Hunters flight encountered a much stronger hurricane, with winds of 125 mph (200 km/h) in a small area near the center. At the time, gale force winds extended outward 140 miles (225 km) to the northeast, and 70 miles (115 km) to the southwest. By early on October 29, a trough extended from Nicaragua through Florida; based on the trough and climatology for similar hurricanes, Hattie was expected to continue northward. By later that day, the hurricane was predicted to be an imminent threat to the Cayman Islands and western Cuba. Around that time, a strengthening ridge to its north turned Hattie toward the northwest, which spared the Greater Antilles, but increased the threat to Central America.

With the strengthening of the ridge to its north, Hurricane Hattie began intensifying again, after retaining the same strength for about 24 hours. Initially, forecasters at the Miami Weather Bureau predicted the storm to turn northward again. Late on October 29, the center of the hurricane passed about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Grand Cayman; at the same time, the interaction between Hattie and a ridge to its north produced squally winds of around 30 mph (50 km/h) across Florida. Early on October 30, the Hurricane Hunters confirmed the increase in intensity, reporting winds of 140 mph (225 km/h). The minimum central pressure continued to drop throughout the day, reaching 924 mbar by 1300 UTC; a lower pressure of 920 mbar was computed at 1700 UTC that day, based on a flight-level reading. Its motion curved toward the west-southwest, causing the hurricane to pass between the Cayman Islands and the Swan Islands. By late on October 30, it is estimated that Hattie attained peak winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) about 190 mi (310 km) east of the border of Mexico and British Honduras (now known as Belize). This made Hattie the equivalence of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, making it the latest hurricane on record to reach the status until a reanalysis of the 1932 season revealed that Hurricane Fourteen reached this status on November 5, six days after Hattie. Additionally, Hattie was the strongest measured October hurricane in the northwest Caribbean until Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Hurricane Hattie maintained much of its intensity as it continued toward the coast, and on October 31 made landfall a short distance south of Belize City after moving through several islands offshore. Its eyewall measured about 25 miles (40 km), and sustained winds were unofficially estimated at over 150 mph (240 km/h), potentially as strong as 200 mph (325 km/h). In a post-season analysis, it was determined that Hattie weakened to winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) before moving ashore. The hurricane weakened rapidly over land, dissipating on November 1 as it moved into the mountains of Guatemala. As it was dissipating Tropical Storm Simone was developing off the Pacific coast of Guatemala. There was speculation that Hattie contributed to the development of Simone, and later Tropical Storm Inga after the systems merged.