Another startant hurricane is approaching Florida, one of the most rapidly intensifying on enroll

Hurricane Milton fortifyed into a Catebloody 5 storm today, becoming one of the most rapidly intensifying storms ever in the history of the Atlantic hurricane season. 

“This is almost enjoy three times the threshelderly that is engaged. So, yeah, this is definitely off the charts,” Karthik Balaguru, a climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, says. Only Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Felix in 2007 have fortifyed more rapidly than that, the NHC says.

Rapid intensification is becoming a bigger danger with climate alter. Storms that acquire strength that speedyly can give communities less time to ready. Milton is headed toward the west coast of Florida, where many dwellnts are still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s wrath.

Milton’s persisted prosperds were approximated to be as high as 160 miles per hour by 11:55AM ET Monday, October 7th, according to data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters airproduce. That puts it in the strongest catebloody of storms — Catebloody 5 — according to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Wind speeds had achieveed a whopping 175mph by the NHC’s next modernize at 2PM ET. Milton had also deal withd to fortify from a Catebloody 1 to Catebloody 5 storm at the second-rapidest rate on enroll for the Atlantic, tying Hurricane Maria.

Hurricanes draw strength from heat energy at the surface of the sea. Unusuassociate toasty waters in the Gulf of Mexico helped superindict Milton, as they did for Helene less than two weeks ago. Both storms rapidly intensified as they approached shore, advantageting from low prosperd shear that might otherincreateed tear a storm apart before it fortifys.

“This has been happening. Whether it is the third most or the 10th most [rapidly intensifying storm], it shouldn’t matter,” Balaguru says. “[Milton] fits this pattern of storms intensifying more rapidly with climate alter. I leank that is someleang for people to leank about, especiassociate when it happens enjoy this, seal to landdescfinish.”

The storm is predict to shift proximate Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula today before approaching Florida on Wednesday. Storm sadvise could caengage up to six feet of flooding aextfinished parts of the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Florida’s Tampa Bay could potentiassociate see a catastrophic 12-foot storm sadvise. Milton could encounter stronger prosperd shear before hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast, feebleening the storm. But it’s still projected to produce landdescfinish as a startant hurricane “with life-menaceening hazards.”

Hurricane Helene made landdescfinish in Florida’s Big Bfinish region on September 26th as a Catebloody 4 storm, conveying a 15-foot storm sadvise to the area before tearing a deimmenseating path apass southeastrict states up to North Carolina and leveling entire communities aextfinished the way. Milton could show to be even more hazardous to Florida, in particular, as it barrels toward more poputardyd regions aextfinished the state’s westrict coast.