User:CooperScience/Meteorological history of Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that caused extensive damage and loss of life from the Greater Antilles to the Southeastern United States, particularly Texas. Classified as the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the active 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, Ike developed from a tropical wave west of the Cape Verde Islands on September 1. Initially, the storm strengthened gradually as it moved northwestward across the tropical Atlantic. By September 3, Ike had encountered an extremely favorable environment, prompting rapid strengthening into a hurricane by 18:00 UTC, and into a major hurricane just six hours later. Ike reached its peak intensity as a mid-range Category 4 hurricane early on September 6, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). Ike then turned southwestward in response to a ridge to its north, where it was met with unfavorable conditions that caused the hurricane to weaken. However, Ike restrengthened as it approached western Cuba, making landfall near Cabo Lucrecia as a Category 4 hurricane on September 8 after striking Inagua the previous day. The hurricane's passage over Cuba caused a significant degradation of the core, and Ike initially failed to strengthen significantly despite a favorable environment as it moved into the Gulf of Mexico. Growing in size and moving northwestward toward the Gulf Coast of the United States, Ike strengthened into a strong Category 2 hurricane over the Loop Current before making landfall on the northeast coast of Texas on September 13. Moving inland and turning northeastward after making landfall, Ike rapidly weakened as it began to lose tropical characteristics, completing its transition to an extratropical cyclone later that day.