▁ 5 4 th ▁We ather ▁Re con na issance ▁Squadron ▁into ▁the ▁storm ▁between ▁October   5 ▁and ▁ 6 , ▁document ing ▁the ▁ty ph oon ' s ▁dram atic ▁strength ening . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁October   5 , ▁N ora ▁had ▁att ained ▁wind s ▁in ▁excess ▁of ▁ 2 6 0   km / h ▁( 1 6 0   m ph ), ▁ranking ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁Category   5 - equ ivalent ▁super ▁ty ph oon ▁on ▁the ▁S aff ir – Sim pson ▁h urr icane ▁scale . ▁A ▁recon ▁mission ▁into ▁the ▁storm ▁at ▁this ▁time ▁revealed ▁concent ric ▁e y ew alls , ▁measured ▁at ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁aircraft ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁pen et rate ▁into ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁eye ▁due ▁to ▁severe ▁tur bul ence ; ▁however , ▁they ▁were ▁successful ▁after ▁a ▁second ▁attempt . ▁Once ▁inside ▁the ▁eye , ▁they ▁discovered ▁an ▁almost ▁cloud - free ▁center ▁with ▁" an ▁am ph it he ater ▁or ▁bow l - like ▁appearance ." ▁Str at oc um ulus ▁clouds ▁were ▁suppress ed ▁to ▁an ▁unus ually ▁low ▁alt itude ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁core ▁of ▁N ora ▁was ▁exception ally ▁warm , ▁with ▁temper atures ▁reaching ▁a ▁near - record ▁ ▁at ▁the ▁ 7 0 0   mb ▁level . ▁At ▁ 0 0 2 0   UTC ▁on ▁October   6 , ▁a ▁dro pson de ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁reconna issance ▁team ▁recorded ▁a