Hurricane Elena, with wind
speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour (177
kilometers per hour), was photographed in the Gulf of
Mexico on September 1, 1985. Almost the entire storm can
be seen in this high-oblique photograph. For instance, a
number of thunderstorms with their
overshooting tops, the spiral bands of numerous
thunderstorms leading to the eye of the hurricane, and
numerous cloud gravity waves within the spiral bands can
be seen. Some portions of the eye wall, where the most
destructive winds of the storm
occur, are also visible. This storm
eventually made landfall near Gulfport, Mississippi.
See also: 'Hurricane
Safety Rules' and 'Some
Forecasting Rules' |
