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NORTH ATLANTIC · 2005 SEASON

Hurricane Wilma (2005)

Recorded track and intensity · 15 Oct 2005–26 Oct 2005

PEAK INTENSITYCategory 5
THE COMPLETE TRACKOpen in the explorer
WILMA: complete recorded track, 15 Oct 2005–26 Oct 2005Recorded track from 15 Oct 2005 to 26 Oct 2005. Colors show the recorded wind category. The highlighted position follows the replay controls.NORTH AMERICAMEXICOAtlantic Ocean16 Oct, 00:00 UTC17 Oct, 00:00 UTC18 Oct, 00:00 UTC19 Oct, 00:00 UTC20 Oct, 00:00 UTC21 Oct, 00:00 UTC22 Oct, 00:00 UTC23 Oct, 00:00 UTC24 Oct, 00:00 UTC25 Oct, 00:00 UTC26 Oct, 00:00 UTCPeak · Category 515 OCT26 OCT

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DepressionTropical stormCat 1Cat 2Cat 3Cat 4Cat 5Post-tropical
All times UTC

Wind speed & pressure

19 Oct, 12:00 UTC
Wind speed 160 ktPressure 882 hPa
0880809501601020kthPa15 Oct19 Oct23 Oct26 Oct

Forward speed & ACE

19 Oct, 12:00 UTC
Forward speed 6 ktCumulative ACE 8.63 10⁴ kt²
0030206040kt10⁴ kt²15 Oct19 Oct23 Oct26 Oct

Hover or tap either graph to follow the track. The slider controls both graphs. Each line uses its matching colored axis.

Forward speed measures the center’s motion. ACE accumulates squared one-minute winds at 00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC during tropical or subtropical stages at 34 kt or above. Missing measurements remain gaps.

Maximum sustained wind160 kt

184 mph / 296 km/h

Minimum recorded pressure882 hPa

19 Oct 2005 · tropical stage

Recorded track duration11 days

Full archive record, including non-tropical stages if present

Approximate track distance5,610 km

Along the recorded center positions

STORM HISTORY

Track and intensity summary

Wilma is listed in the North Atlantic basin for the 2005 season. Its archived track begins on 15 Oct 2005, 18:00 UTC at 17.6°N, 78.5°W. The first observation lists sustained winds of 25 knots. These dates describe the available observations, which may include stages before and after the tropical cyclone phase.

The first Category 5 observation appears on 19 Oct 2005, 03:00 UTC. The highest recorded tropical-stage one-minute sustained wind is 160 knots (184 mph / 296 km/h), first recorded on 19 Oct 2005, 12:00 UTC at 17.3°N, 82.8°W. The minimum recorded tropical-stage central pressure is 882 hPa on 19 Oct 2005, 12:00 UTC.

The full record spans 264 hours and approximately 5,610 kilometers along the recorded center positions. The last recorded position is 45.5°N, 52°W on 26 Oct 2005, 18:00 UTC. The final tropical-stage observation is earlier, on 25 Oct 2005, 21:00 UTC.

This summary is calculated from the NOAA IBTrACS archive. Category 5 describes the storm’s peak recorded wind intensity, not its intensity at landfall or the severity of impacts at any location. Landfall times, damage and casualties have not been independently reviewed for this page.

METHODOLOGY

Data sources and limitations

The map and summary are generated from NOAA’s IBTrACS v04r01 archive. Wind and category use US-agency records; minimum pressure is calculated during the tropical stage, with the archive’s pressure source retained. Category 5 refers to the Saffir–Simpson one-minute wind scale; local agencies may use different classifications. Coastlines use Natural Earth’s 1:10m land data.

Track distance adds great-circle distances between consecutive observations, excluding gaps over 12 hours. This track has no gaps over 12 hours. The line shows the storm’s center, not its size, rainfall or flood extent. Converted wind speeds are rounded to the nearest whole unit.

Archive retrieved

NOAA IBTrACS archive · Field documentation

Sources & methodology

Browse all Category 5 storm pages