<P> Slowly rounding the ridge , Matthew fluctuated in intensity within the Category 4 range from October 1 -- 5 . Intensification resumed again late on October 3 and culminated when Matthew made landfall near Les Anglais , Haiti , around 11 : 00 UTC on October 4 with winds of 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) and a pressure of 934 millibars ( 27.6 inHg ) , making it the strongest to hit Haiti since Hurricane Cleo in 1964 . Continuing northward , the hurricane struck Maisí in Cuba early on October 5 as a slightly weaker storm . Cuba 's and Haiti 's mountainous terrain weakened Matthew to Category 3 status , as it began to accelerate northwestwards through the Bahamas . Restrengthening occurred as Matthew 's circulation became better organized , with the storm becoming a Category 4 hurricane again while passing Freeport . However , Matthew began to weaken again as an eyewall replacement cycle took place . The storm significantly weakened while closely paralleling the coasts of Florida and Georgia , with the northwestern portion of the outer eyewall coming ashore in Florida while the system was a Category 3 hurricane ( with the strongest winds remaining just offshore ) . Matthew weakened to a Category 2 hurricane late on October 7 and then to a Category 1 hurricane by 12 : 00 UTC on October 8 . </P>
<P> Slowly rounding the ridge , Matthew fluctuated in intensity within the Category 4 range from October 1 -- 5 . Intensification resumed again late on October 3 and culminated when Matthew made landfall near Les Anglais , Haiti , around 11 : 00 UTC on October 4 with winds of 150 mph ( 240 km / h ) and a pressure of 934 millibars ( 27.6 inHg ) , making it the strongest to hit Haiti since Hurricane Cleo in 1964 . Continuing northward , the hurricane struck Maisí in Cuba early on October 5 as a slightly weaker storm . Cuba 's and Haiti 's mountainous terrain weakened Matthew to Category 3 status , as it began to accelerate northwestwards through the Bahamas . Restrengthening occurred as Matthew 's circulation became better organized , with the storm becoming a Category 4 hurricane again while passing Freeport . However , Matthew began to weaken again as an eyewall replacement cycle took place . The storm significantly weakened while closely paralleling the coasts of Florida and Georgia , with the northwestern portion of the outer eyewall coming ashore in Florida while the system was a Category 3 hurricane ( with the strongest winds remaining just offshore ) . Matthew weakened to a Category 2 hurricane late on October 7 and then to a Category 1 hurricane by 12 : 00 UTC on October 8 . </P>
what category was hurricane matthew when he hit florida
what category was hurricane matthew when he hit florida
Category 3
Category 3