Hurricane Milton Intensifies and Turns into a Category 5 Storm in Less Than 24-Hrs

Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified in strength and is now heading towards Florida. The intensification has worried authorities, Science Alert reported. The hurricane grew in size in just 24 hours. As per records, the hurricane is shaping to be one of the strongest storms to hit the country, this year. Civilians were not expecting this outcome when the storm started on October 6. 

Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton is arriving in Florida just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, Forbes reported. The area was already reeling from the havoc and damage caused by Helene and is now preparing reinforcements to save themselves from the intensified Hurricane Milton. Authorities have predicted that the storm will soon move near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and thereafter cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The storm on its way had "explosively intensified" and had sustained wind speeds of 175 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Milton's present strength qualifies it as a category 5 storm. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration believes that the storm will lose some strength but is "still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland."

Florida Braces For Impact

After being made aware of the storm's strength, counties began issuing evacuation orders, BBC reported. Authorities are also in the process of suspending tolls on roads in western and central Florida. Civilians reportedly formed long queues at petrol stations in South Florida, for restocking. Some stations reportedly ran out of fuel due to the unexpected demand. Schools in several counties will reportedly soon close to protect the children and staff. Keith Turi, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) shared that authorities were happy with the measures undertaken against the storm. She said, "I’m encouraged by the amount of evacuation that’s going on right now. This is actually a good sign." Airports in Tampa and Orlando have announced that they will suspend flight operations from October 14. 

Milton's Rapid Intensification

Hurricane Milton went through a process known as rapid intensification which increased its strength, Science Alert reported. In a matter of just 24 hours, the storm went from being of barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm. Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical cyclone experiences an increase of at least 30 knots – about 35 mph in its wind speed, within a 24-hour window. Milton's wind speed jumped from 80mph to 175mph, from October 6 to 7. 

Milton's Connection with Climate Change

Researchers have linked this phenomenon of rapid intensification with climate change, Science Alert reported. Scientists have discovered that rapid intensification in storms has enhanced massively, in the last four decades. Experts compared trends in storms from 1982 to 2017, with climate model simulations and found that natural variability could not be the only factor behind the increase in rapid intensification. This implies that human-induced climate change likely played a role in bringing this change within storms. Two of the biggest reasons behind rapid intensification have been identified as—the escalation of global temperatures and the warming of oceans, experts said. Both of these changes have been brought on by climate change. The effect of climate change on hurricanes remains an active research area. Experts want to collect as much data and analysis as possible, to help people in the future to deal with the potential consequences of changes like rapid intensification.