Hurricane Milton Explodes to Category 5 Storm
Alexis Thornton
Last weekHurricane Milton exploded in size and intensity overnight, now churning through the Gulf of Mexico on a crash course with Florida as a monster Category 5 storm. Here is the latest on this developing dire weather situation.
Hurricane Milton Undergoes Process of Rapid Intensification
As of the 11 am EDT Monday update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Milton was a Category 5 powerhouse storm boasting maximum wind speeds of 160 mph. It was just a few hours earlier on Monday that Milton was a Category 3 storm with winds of 125 mph.
The speed in which Milton has strengthened is alarming to hurricane experts. Milton was a mere tropical storm with winds of about 60 mph on Sunday morning. Forecasters were warning that Milton would be able to intensify quickly as it moved through the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf. These fears came to fruition when Milton shot up the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Milton's journey is almost double the criteria used to define the process of rapid intensification, known as a storm that strengthens at a rate of 35 mph or more in a period of 24 hours.
Milton is predicted to remain at this intensity as it moves over the south-central and eastern Gulf of Mexico. The storm has begun to slow its speeds, now anticipated to make landfall along the western coast of Florida some time late Wednesday.
Despite Hurricane Helene recently churning up the waters in the Gulf, ocean water temperatures have hit the highest readings on the record books for this late in the season. The depth of this warmth is feeding Milton and allowing it to rapidly intensify.
Although there is the chance that some dry air may wrap around Milton and cause it to weaken slightly, the feature is still likely to be a life-threatening storm when it roars on shore. Hurricane watches are now in effect for more than 6 million people in the western and central portions of Florida. This zone includes all of the major metropolitan area of Tampa.
Tropical storm watches have also been issued for a large bulk of the Gulf Coast of the Sunshine State. Once again, the Big Bend region is under the gun for tropical weather. The tropical storm watches extend all of the way to the Florida Keys.