Scientists confirmed a dropsonde measured a 252 mph gust at 657 feet in Hurricane Melissa’s southeastern eyewall; the reading was validated by NSF-, NCAR- and UCAR-affiliated researchers. This gust is the strongest instrument-measured wind recorded inside an Atlantic hurricane and the second-strongest directly observed on Earth. The 1999 Moore, Oklahoma 321 mph figure was radar-derived, not instrument-measured. The U.S. has still had no hurricane landfalls this season, a streak not seen since 2015 if it holds.
Confirmed: Hurricane Melissa Produced a 252 mph Gust — Strongest Instrument-Measured Wind in an Atlantic Hurricane
Scientists confirmed a dropsonde measured a 252 mph gust at 657 feet in Hurricane Melissa’s southeastern eyewall; the reading was validated by NSF-, NCAR- and UCAR-affiliated researchers. This gust is the strongest instrument-measured wind recorded inside an Atlantic hurricane and the second-strongest directly observed on Earth. The 1999 Moore, Oklahoma 321 mph figure was radar-derived, not instrument-measured. The U.S. has still had no hurricane landfalls this season, a streak not seen since 2015 if it holds.
09:31 AM, 11/21/2025Science
Good afternoon — meteorologist Nick Dunn with an update on a significant wind measurement from last month’s Hurricane Melissa.
Scientists have confirmed that a dropsonde released into Melissa’s southeastern eyewall recorded a peak gust of 252 miles per hour at an altitude of about 657 feet. The measurement was independently validated by researchers affiliated with the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and partner organizations after a careful review of the instrument data.
A dropsonde is an instrument deployed from hurricane reconnaissance aircraft that records wind speed, temperature, pressure and dew point as it descends through a storm down to the ocean surface. Because it directly samples the storm environment, a dropsonde provides a reliable in-situ measurement of wind conditions inside the eyewall.
Placed in context, Melissa’s verified 252 mph gust ranks as the second-strongest instrument-measured wind gust ever recorded on Earth and is the strongest gust directly measured inside an Atlantic hurricane. By comparison, a widely cited 321 mph value from the 1999 Moore, Oklahoma tornado was derived from radar estimates rather than a direct instrument measurement, so it is not categorized the same way.
Although this extreme gust highlights the violent potential of tropical cyclones, the Atlantic hurricane season has otherwise been relatively quiet so far. The United States has not experienced a hurricane landfall this season; if that continues through the end of the month, it will be the first season without a U.S. hurricane landfall since 2015.
This validated dropsonde observation improves our understanding of extreme near-surface winds in tropical cyclones and will help scientists refine wind models and risk assessments for future storms.