Question: Which hurricane, Hurricane Wilma or Hurricane Mitch, was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin?

Context paragraphs:
2016 Atlantic hurricane season: The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season featured the highest amount of tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic basin since 2012, producing a total of 15 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes.  It was also the most destructive season since 2012, and was the deadliest since at least 2008.  The season officially started on June 1 and ended on November 30, though the first storm, Hurricane Alex which formed in the Northeastern Atlantic, developed on January 12, being the first hurricane to develop in January since 1938.  The final storm, Otto, crossed into the Eastern Pacific on November 25, a few days before the official end.  Following Alex, Tropical Storm Bonnie brought flooding to South Carolina and portions of North Carolina.  Tropical Storm Colin in early June brought minor flooding and wind damage to parts of the Southeastern United States, especially Florida.  Hurricane Earl left 94 fatalities in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, 81 of which occurred in the latter.  In early September, Hurricane Hermine, the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Hurricane Wilma in 2005, brought extensive coastal flooding damage especially to the Forgotten and Nature coasts of Florida.  Hermine was responsible for five fatalities and about $550 million (2016 USD) in damage.

Hurricane Gilbert: Hurricane Gilbert was the costliest Atlantic hurricane on record until surpassed by Hugo of the following year as well as the most intense Atlantic hurricane until Hurricane Wilma.  Gilbert was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season and peaked as a Category 5 strength hurricane that brought widespread destruction to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.  Gilbert was also one of the largest tropical cyclones ever observed in the Atlantic basin.  At one point, its tropical storm-force winds measured 575 mi in diameter.  In addition, Gilbert was the most intense tropical cyclone in recorded history to strike Mexico.

Hurricane Rita: Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico.  Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which included three of the six most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded (along with #1 Wilma and #7 Katrina), Rita was the seventeenth named storm, tenth hurricane, and fifth major hurricane of the 2005 season.  Rita formed near The Bahamas from a tropical wave on September 18, 2005 that originally developed off the coast of West Africa.  It moved westward, and after passing through the Florida Straits, Rita entered an environment of abnormally warm waters.  Moving west-northwest, it rapidly intensified to reach peak winds of 180 mph , achieving Category 5 status on September 21st.  However, as Rita approached land through September 24, it weakened to a Category 3 and began to curve to the northwest, making landfall in Johnson's Bayou, Louisiana, between Sabine Pass, Texas and Holly Beach, Louisiana, with winds of 120 mph .  Rapidly weakening over land, Rita degenerated into a large low-pressure area over the lower Mississippi Valley by September 26th.

Meteorological history of Hurricane Wilma: Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Atlantic basin on record, with an atmospheric pressure of 882 hPa (mbar, 26.05 inHg).  Wilma's destructive journey began in the second week of October 2005.  A large area of disturbed weather developed across much of the Caribbean Sea and gradually organized to the southeast of Jamaica.  By late on October 15, the system was sufficiently organized for the National Hurricane Center to designate it as Tropical Depression Twenty-Four.

Tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting: Tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting involves using scientific models and other tools to predict the precipitation expected in tropical cyclones such as hurricanes and typhoons.  Knowledge of tropical cyclone rainfall climatology is helpful in the determination of a tropical cyclone rainfall forecast.  More rainfall falls in advance of the center of the cyclone than in its wake.  The heaviest rainfall falls within its central dense overcast and eyewall.  Slow moving tropical cyclones, like Hurricane Danny and Hurricane Wilma, can lead to the highest rainfall amounts due to prolonged heavy rains over a specific location.  However, vertical wind shear leads to decreased rainfall amounts, as rainfall is favored downshear and slightly left of the center and the upshear side is left devoid of rainfall.  The presence of hills or mountains near the coast, as is the case across much of Mexico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, much of Central America, Madagascar, Réunion, China, and Japan act to magnify amounts on their windward side due to forced ascent causing heavy rainfall in the mountains.  A strong system moving through the mid latitudes, such as a cold front, can lead to high amounts from tropical systems, occurring well in advance of its center.  Movement of a tropical cyclone over cool water will also limit its rainfall potential.  A combination of factors can lead to exceptionally high rainfall amounts, as was seen during Hurricane Mitch in Central America.

Hurricane Mitch: Hurricane Mitch was the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record.  The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 1998 hurricane season.  Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch was the most notable hurricane in the season.  At the time, Hurricane Mitch was the strongest Atlantic hurricane observed in the month of October, though it has since been surpassed by Hurricane Wilma of the 2005 season.  The hurricane matched the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record (it has since dropped to seventh).

2012 Atlantic hurricane season: The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was the final year in a consecutive string of three hyperactive seasons, although most of the storms were weak.  It is tied with 1887, 1995, 2010, and 2011 for having the third-most named storms on record.  It was also the second-costliest season, behind 2005.  The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates that conventionally delimit the period during each year in which most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Ocean.  However, Alberto, the first system of the year, developed on May 19 – the earliest date of formation since Tropical Storm Ana in 2003.  A second tropical cyclone, Beryl, developed later that month.  This was the first occurrence of two pre-season named storms in the Atlantic basin since 1951.  It moved ashore in North Florida on May 29 with winds of 65 mph (100 km/h), making it the strongest pre-season storm to make landfall in the Atlantic basin.  This season marked the first time since 2009 where no tropical cyclones formed in July.  Another record was set by Hurricane Nadine later in the season; the system became the fourth-longest-lived tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic, with a total duration of 22.25 days.  The final storm to form, Tony, dissipated on October 25 – however, Hurricane Sandy, which formed before Tony, became extratropical on October 29.

Meteorological history of Hurricane Patricia: Hurricane Patricia was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere and the second-most intense worldwide in terms of barometric pressure.  It also featured the highest one-minute maximum sustained winds ever recorded in a tropical cyclone.  Originating from a sprawling disturbance near the Gulf of Tehuantepec in mid-October 2015, Patricia was first classified a tropical depression on October 20.  Initial development was slow, with only modest strengthening within the first day of its classification.  The system later became a tropical storm and was named Patricia, the twenty-fourth named storm of the annual hurricane season.  Exceptionally favorable environmental conditions fueled explosive intensification on October 22.  A well-defined eye developed within an intense central dense overcast and Patricia grew from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours—a near-record pace.  The magnitude of intensification was poorly forecast and both forecast models and meteorologists suffered from record-high prediction errors.

Cyclone Gafilo: Very Intense Tropical Cyclone Gafilo (] ; also known as Cyclone Gafilo) was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the South-West Indian Ocean and the most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2004.  Being unusually large and violent, Gafilo was the deadliest and most destructive cyclone of the 2003–04 season.  According to the EM-DAT International Disaster Database, Gafilo killed at least 363 people.  The Gafilo cyclone also caused about $250 million (2004 USD) damages in Madagascar, which makes it one of most devastating storms to hit the country on reliable record.

Hurricane Wilma: Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, as well as the most intense recorded in the western hemisphere until Hurricane Patricia in 2015.  Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which included three of the top ten most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever (along with #4 Rita and #7 Katrina), Wilma was the twenty-second storm, thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, fourth Category 5 hurricane, and second-most destructive hurricane of the 2005 season.  A tropical depression formed in the Caribbean Sea near Jamaica on October 15, headed westward, and two days later intensified into a tropical storm which turned abruptly southward and was named "Wilma".  Wilma continued to strengthen, and eventually became a hurricane on October 18.  Shortly thereafter, explosive intensification occurred, and in only 24 hours, Wilma became a Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 185 mph .

Supporting paragraphs: Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Wilma
Answer: Hurricane Wilma