I have been watching these things since Frederic of 79....and just missed Katrina...and watched her develop. A few things noteworthy and in need of a met or two to explain if my thought pattern fits what I'm seeing.

Could the reason Ike has a low pressure drop, yet still, wind speeds that haven't caught up to that drop, be because it is so large in diameter? I'm thinking of a skater who the closer she pulls herself in when spinning, the faster she goes...

Here is the thought I'm having. Is the size of this cane, as well as the quick drop in the pressure, and the evident double and perhaps triple eyewall....be an event we just haven't seen before? Is this perhaps the super-type cyclone they talk about? This thing is so large...that when you do the floater loop...it seems like a small picture....it doesn't cover the whole storm...

and now it's reaching the warm eddies...and I heard on the weather....that they can't discount a 5.....

anyhow....given all that...my original feelings that a quickly developing and more dangerous hurricane...might be something the models have NOT considered. Could the size of the storm...and power of it....overcome the high pressure ridges...and in effect...could Ike go wherever it wants...?

I seriously would like a met's thoughts on this.