Are the wind speeds of a hurricane measured at an altitude or on the surface?

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answers:
Jackolantern say: As for me, I would measure it at ground/sea level that is where it matters most. Where you can get your butt kicked around the most!
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TQ say: The wind speeds of a hurricane are measured at an altitude via dropsonde deployed by a 'hurricane hunter' aircraft.

Pressure and wind data recorded by the dropsonde are adjusted by an algorithm to represent the surface wind speed.
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oil field trash say: The wind speed is measured at various altitudes but the surface wind speed is the one reported to the public.
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silentrunner13 say: Surface that is where the brunt of the force will be.
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Zaphod Beeblebrox say: The reported and forecast wind speeds are essentially at the surface. The World Meteorological Organization has set the international standard height for wind measurement devices at 10 meters (33 feet) above the surface. This does not mean that all the speeds are measured from exactly that high, but it is the standard used for official weather stations, including sea buoys equipped with weather data equipment. For all intents and purposes, that is still considered surface wind
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