Editing Hurricane Opal (section)

==Meteorological history==
{{Storm path|Opal 1995 path.png|colors=new}}
The origins of Hurricane Opal were linked using satellite imagery and [[Synoptic scale meteorology|synoptic analyses]] to a [[tropical wave]] that left the western coast of Africa on September&nbsp;11.<ref name=TCR>{{cite report|last1=Mayfield |first1=Max |title=Hurricane Opal |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL171995_Opal.pdf|publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=April 20, 2015 |location=Miami, Florida |type=Preliminary Report |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503071400/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1995opal.html |archive-date=May 3, 2015 }}</ref>  Ten days later, the disturbance reached the [[Lesser Antilles]] after crossing the tropical Atlantic.<ref name=Environmental>{{cite journal|last1=Bosart|first1=Lance F.|last2=Velden|first2=Christopher S.|last3=Bracken|first3=W. Edward|last4=Molinari|first4=John|last5=Black|first5=Peter G.|title=Environmental Influences on the Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Opal (1995) over the Gulf of Mexico|journal=Monthly Weather Review|date=2000|volume=128|issue=2|pages=322–352|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(2000)128<0322:EIOTRI>2.0.CO;2|publisher=American Meteorological Society|location=Miami, Florida|bibcode=2000MWRv..128..322B|doi-access=free}}</ref> Continuing westward, the disturbance showed little signs of organization before entering the western [[Caribbean Sea]] on September&nbsp;23. There, the wave became entangled with a broad [[low-pressure area|area of low-pressure]] east of [[Nicaragua]], and the combined system drifted west-northwestward toward the [[Yucatán Peninsula]]; but even then, the disturbance lacked significant development. However, a burst of [[convection (meteorology)|thunderstorm activity]] occurred near the storm's center on September&nbsp;27, prompting the [[National Hurricane Center]]&nbsp;(NHC) to declare the system a [[tropical depression]] at 18:00&nbsp;[[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]] that day. At the time, the depression was centered {{convert|80|mi|km|abbr=on}} south-southeast of [[Cozumel, Mexico]].<ref name=TCR />

[[File:Opal 1995-10-03 1815Z.png|thumb|right|Hurricane Opal rapidly intensifying in the [[Gulf of Mexico]] on October 3]]
The primordial depression meandered across the Yucatán Peninsula during the three days following [[tropical cyclogenesis]] due to the lack of dominant [[prevailing winds|steering currents]]. Despite remaining over land for an extended period, the depression developed organized [[rainband]]s, and ships in the region reported weather conditions that were suggestive of a stronger system. As a result, the NHC upgraded the disturbance to [[tropical storm]] intensity at 12:00&nbsp;UTC on September&nbsp;30 while the storm was over the north-central coast of Yucatán; this classification resulted in the tropical cyclone [[tropical cyclone naming|being named]] ''Opal'', which also made it the first Atlantic storm to be given a name starting with the letter [[O]].<ref name=OName>{{cite news|title=Atlantic hurricane season brews up first-ever O-named storms|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2331943/hurricane_opal/|access-date=May 1, 2015|work=Gettysburg Times|agency=Associated Press|volume=93|issue=235|date=October 2, 1995|location=Gettysburg, Pennsylvania|page=A10|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref> Over the next two days, Opal entered the [[Gulf of Mexico]] before tracking slowly west-southwestward into the [[Bay of Campeche]]. There, the storm strengthened into a hurricane at 12:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;2. Shortly afterward, a primitive [[eye (cyclone)|eye]] began to form. At the same time, a strong [[trough (meteorology)|trough]] tracking across the United States caused Opal to slowly turn northeastward.<ref name=TCR />

After clearing the Bay of Campeche, Opal accelerated towards the [[United States Gulf Coast]]. The combination of warm [[sea surface temperature]]s associated with an unusually warm pocket of ocean waters and an upper-level [[high pressure area]] over the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a highly conducive environment for intensification.<ref name=TCR /><ref name=WCR>{{cite journal|last1=Hong|first1=Xiaodong|last2=Chang|first2=Simon W.|last3=Raman|first3=Sethu|last4=Shay|first4=Lynn K.|last5=Hodur|first5=Richard|title=The Interaction between Hurricane Opal (1995) and a Warm Core Ring in the Gulf of Mexico|journal=Monthly Weather Review|date=April 27, 1999|volume=128|issue=5|pages=1347–1365|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(2000)128<1347:TIBHOA>2.0.CO;2|publisher=American Meteorological Society|location=Miami, Florida|bibcode=2000MWRv..128.1347H|url=https://zenodo.org/record/1234719|doi-access=free}}</ref> After a significant reorganization in Opal's internal structure, the hurricane was able to [[rapid deepening|rapidly intensify]] in these favorable conditions. At 12:00&nbsp;UTC on October&nbsp;4, Opal reached peak intensity with [[maximum sustained wind]]s of {{convert|150|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, making it a [[List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes|Category&nbsp;4 hurricane]] on the [[Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale]], and a minimum [[barometric pressure]] of 916 [[pascal (unit)|hPa]] (27.05&nbsp;[[inches of mercury|inHg]]), a pressure typical for a Category 5 hurricane. The tropical cyclone's eye measured {{convert|12|mi|km|abbr=on}} at peak intensity as the storm was beginning an [[eyewall replacement cycle]]. The progression of this cycle resulted in Opal's gradual weakening thereafter. At 22:00&nbsp;UTC that day, Opal made [[landfall (meteorology)|landfall]] between [[Pensacola Beach, Florida]] and [[Navarre, Florida|Navarre Beach, Florida]], on a stretch of beach now known as "Opal Beach", as a weakened Category&nbsp;3 hurricane with winds of {{convert|115|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. Weakening quickened as Opal moved further inland, degenerating into a tropical depression over [[Tennessee]] less than a day after landfall. The diffusing cyclone transitioned into an [[extratropical cyclone]] shortly afterwards; these extratropical remnants tracked towards the northeast before they were last noted along the northern shore of [[Lake Ontario]] in Eastern Ontario.<ref name=TCR />
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