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| - Hurricane Bob was an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane that left extensive damage throughout much of the Caribbean Sea and surrounding areas. At the time, it was the most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic until being surpassed by Hurricane Ryne in September. The orgins of the hurricane can be traced to a rare, off-season Cape Verde tropical wave that had developed in late December 2016. Failing to develop due to high wind shear within the vicinity of the Atlantic Main Development Region (MDR), the sheared wave continued on a westerly path across the central Atlantic. By January 2, 2017, the wave stalled several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands. Due to slowed motion, coupled with the fact the system entered an area of favorable conditions, Bob began to intensify at an accele
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| abstract
| - Hurricane Bob was an extremely powerful Category 5 hurricane that left extensive damage throughout much of the Caribbean Sea and surrounding areas. At the time, it was the most powerful hurricane in the Atlantic until being surpassed by Hurricane Ryne in September. The orgins of the hurricane can be traced to a rare, off-season Cape Verde tropical wave that had developed in late December 2016. Failing to develop due to high wind shear within the vicinity of the Atlantic Main Development Region (MDR), the sheared wave continued on a westerly path across the central Atlantic. By January 2, 2017, the wave stalled several hundred miles east of the Leeward Islands. Due to slowed motion, coupled with the fact the system entered an area of favorable conditions, Bob began to intensify at an accelerated pace. Only a day after formation, Bob achieved hurricane status 125 miles east of Barbuda and Antigua - the first of the season. Subsequently, Bob passed directly over the archipelago as a strengthening Category 1 hurricane. Forecast models predicted Bob would begin to undergo rapid intensficaition once it reached the central Caribbean Sea, where record-warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 45 degrees Celsius abounded. Within days, Bob had taken on an annular shape as its circulation gradually became more rounded while a clear and well-defined eye appeared at the surface. Despite this, Bob remained a Category 1 hurricane. By January 5, Bob had begun taking a track southwestward, narrowly missing Jamaica. However, Jamaica reported tropical storm-force wind gusts and heavy rainfall from Bob's outer rain bands as its eyewall continued to expand in size. By January 6, Bob had begun tempering with unfavorable wind shear, which had noticeable detrimental effects on the cyclone. While Hurricane Anthony attained Category 5 status in the open Atlantic, Bob's structure began to take on a disheveled appearance according to satellite imagery. Hurricane Hunter reconaissance aircraft indicated Bob was undergoing an eyewall-replacement cycle, as a new eyewall began to take shape within the outer circulation. The hurricane recovered completely the next day and began to rapidly intensify. By January 9, Bob had become the most intense Atlantic hurricane on record upon attaining a record low pressure of 879 millibars - shattering the record set by Hurricane Anthony only three days prior by one millibar. The following advisory, Bob attained peak winds of 170 knots (195 miles per hour), making it the strongest wind-speed hurricane in the Atlantic, surpassing Hurricane Allen. However, these records would be shattered by Hurricane Ryne later that year. Bob remained at peak strength for only a brief period of time prior to shelving and its proximity to the Mexican nation of Belize beginning to take their toll on the powerful hurricane. Overnight, Bob entered a steady state of weakening as it slowly continued to the west. At 07:00 UTC the next day, Bob made landfall in Belize with maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour - the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the country since Hurricane Hattie. In addition, Bob was the first Category 5-strength landfall in the Atlantic since Hurricane Felix. At the time, it was the strongest tropical cyclone ever to strike land in the Atlantic - however, it would later be surpassed by Hurricane Ryne. Within hours of landfall, Bob endured interaction with the moutainous terrain and was torn apart by this. This proved fatal to the cyclone, as its core of convection completely fell apart and it split into two areas of low pressure. The northernward one curved to the northwest as an open trough of low pressure, while the larger, dominant system to the south remained a weak tropical storm. Continuing on a gradual track to the west, Bob exited the country the subsequent day and later emerged over the Bay of Campeche. Thereafter, Bob slowly began re-intensifying - achieving a secondary peak intensity of 55 knots (65 miles per hour). The following day, Bob encountered a pocket of cooler waters, of which induced a subtropical transition and some minor weakening. The system later made landfall in Veracruz as a subtropical cyclone with maximum winds of 40 knots (45 miles per hour). Bob turned post-tropical on January 13 due to terrain interaction over the mountains of central Mexico, of which ripped the circulation of the former Category 5 hurricane apart. Shortly thereafter, Bob dissipated completely.
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