How fast does a hurricane intensify???

Question

this morning at 8oclock i think-gustav only had 80mph winds.

now at 2 pm i looked up, its already a category 4 with 135mph

how fast do they strenghten, and can someone atually feel the wind increasing if you were on the right spot.

and do the winds actually blow at 135 mph or is that just the areas a couple of miles away from the eye.

Answer 1

The speed of intensification varies greatly for each storm.

For the person standing around for them to fell the wind increase, remember this humans can barely stand up straight at the tailend of a category 1 Hurricane, they won't even be in the same spot if they are outside in anything higher.

As for the area of measurement, they are taken in that area directly surrounding the eye (the eye wall).