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All storm pages · 2005 Atlantic season

Hurricane Wilma 2005

Category 5 hurricane · Atlantic · October 15 to October 25, 2005

Wilma's peak sustained wind of 185 mph is tied for the third-highest of the 1,988 storms in the Atlantic record since 1851, and one of 44 Category 5 storms in that record. Its central pressure fell to 882 mb, the lowest among the 1,277 Atlantic storms with a recorded pressure. Within 24 hours ending October 19, its winds rose by 110 mph (95 knots), the largest one-day gain in the Atlantic record. The name Wilma is on the National Hurricane Center's list of retired Atlantic hurricane names.

Track of Wilma (2005) from the best-track record, coloured by strength20°N30°N40°N90°W80°W70°W60°W50°WQuintana Roo, 150 mphFlorida, 120 mphPeak 185 mphFirst recordNot tropicalDepressionTropical stormCategory 1Category 2Category 3Category 4Category 500 and 12 UTCLandfall

Strength over time

Maximum sustained wind of Wilma (2005) over time, in mphTSCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 504080120160200Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26mph
  1. First record (tropical depression) 55 miles southwest of Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica
  2. Tropical storm 140 miles southwest of Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica
  3. Hurricane 205 miles southwest of Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica
  4. Major hurricane 205 miles north-northeast of Bilwi, Atlántico Norte, Nicaragua
  5. Peak 230 miles north of Bilwi, Atlántico Norte, Nicaragua
  6. Landfall Quintana Roo
  7. Landfall Quintana Roo: Category 4, 130 mph, 933 mb
  8. Landfall Florida: Category 3, 120 mph, 950 mb
  9. No longer tropical (extratropical low) 235 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
  10. Last record 365 miles southeast of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Against every Atlantic storm since 1851

Peak sustained wind185 mph · tied 3rd of 1,98830 mph190 mph
Lowest central pressure882 mb · 1st of 1,277882 mb1016 mb
Accumulated cyclone energy38.9 · 46th of 1,7520.173.6
Days as a tropical or subtropical cyclone10.0 days · tied 249th of 1,9880.0 days31.8 days

More from the record

It generated 16% of the season's accumulated cyclone energy, more than any other 2005 storm.

It came ashore in Quintana Roo as a Category 4 hurricane on October 21, 2005, with 150 mph winds.

In the 2005 season

04080120160200Wilma

Storm 25 of 31 in 2005, hurricane 13 of 15; it formed after Vince and before Alpha. See the season.

Places the center passed

The center came within 50 miles of at least 8 towns or cities of 10,000 people or more while the system was tropical. Distances are to the interpolated track line, not the storm's edge.

PlaceClosestWind thenDate
West Palm Beach, Florida9 mi115 mphOctober 24
Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico11 mi150 mphOctober 21
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico17 mi105 mphOctober 22
Naples, Florida18 mi120 mphOctober 24
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico25 mi105 mphOctober 22
Coral Springs, Florida27 mi110 mphOctober 24
Fort Pierce, Florida35 mi115 mphOctober 24
Fort Lauderdale, Florida39 mi110 mphOctober 24

Every storm within 50 miles of Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Similar landfalls in Quintana Roo

Storms whose strongest landfall record in Quintana Roo came closest to Wilma's 150 mph:

All 31 storms with a landfall record in Quintana Roo

Also peaked at 185 mph

Of 3 storms from other Atlantic seasons, the nearest in time: