hurricane miltonStrong storms fluctuating between Category 4 and 5 In the Gulf of Mexico, it made landfall near Sarasota Wednesday night as a Category 3. The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay described Milton as a “historic storm on Florida’s west coast.”
It is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. hurricane helen 2 weeks ago and Hurricane Debbie Early August.
CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said Milton was the fastest storm on record, quickly strengthening to a Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical storm developed on Sunday with sustained winds of 60 mph. Just 24 hours later, wind speeds jumped to 175 miles per hour. Category 5 Threshold of 157mph.
Rapid intensification means that a storm’s wind speeds increase by more than 58 miles per hour over a 24-hour period. From 1980 to 2023, the number of Atlantic hurricanes that made landfall increased sharply, with 177. About 80% of Category 3 to 5 hurricanes go through this process.
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
Climate change makes storms stronger
Milton is the most powerful storm to form since. hurricane dorianIt hit the Bahamas and parts of the Southeast in 2019. It is also the second tropical system to reach Category 5 intensity during the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. hurricane beryl.
According to scientists, human-caused climate change is causing hurricanes to rapidly intensify into more powerful storms, often causing more coastal flooding and additional rainfall in areas miles from the coast.
Since April 2023, global sea surface temperatures have been hotter than any other period on record. Hotter oceans produce stronger storms, and warmer sea surface temperatures amplify evaporation, transferring heat and water into the air, making hurricane winds stronger and increasing the rain they retain.
Li Cohen and Tracy J. Wholf contributed to this report.
