When it comes to understanding hurricane intensity, wind speed usually gets the spotlight, but minimum central pressure is just as important.

This term refers to the lowest atmospheric pressure found at the center of a storm, usually measured in millibars (mb). In a hurricane, the central pressure drops as the storm strengthens. The lower the pressure, the more powerful the storm.

Why does this matter? When pressure drops, this translates to stronger winds and more destructive power.

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For example, on a calm, sunny day, the pressure can be around 1020 mb. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 had a minimum central pressure of 902 mb, while Hurricane Wilma, a few months later, dropped to 882 mb. That was the lowest pressure ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Meteorologists closely track changes in central pressure to assess whether a storm is intensifying, weakening or holding steady. Aircraft reconnaissance flights and satellite observations provide real-time data to monitor this crucial metric.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.