Another major hurricane is approaching Florida, one of the fastest strengthening hurricanes on record

Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm today, becoming one of the fastest-strengthening storms in the history of the Atlantic hurricane season.

“That’s almost three times the threshold used. So, yeah, this is definitely off the charts,” says Karthik Balaguru, a climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Only Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Felix in 2007 grew faster, according to the NHC.

Climate change is making rapid intensification a greater risk. Storms that quickly gain strength can give communities less time to prepare. Milton is heading to Florida's west coast, where many residents are still recovering from the wrath of Hurricane Helene.

According to data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters aircraft, sustained winds in Milton were estimated to be up to 160 mph as of 11:55 a.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 7. This puts it in the strongest storm category – Category 5 – according to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale. Wind speeds had reached a whopping 175 mph by the next NHC update at 2 p.m. ET. Milton also managed to strengthen from a Category 1 storm to Category 5 at the second-fastest speed ever recorded for the Atlantic, equaling Hurricane Maria.

Hurricanes derive their power from heat energy on the ocean surface. Unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico helped accelerate Milton, as happened with Helene less than two weeks ago. Both storms quickly strengthened as they approached the coast, benefiting from low wind shear that could otherwise tear a storm apart before it strengthens.

“That happened. Whether it is the third most frequent storm or the 10th most frequent (rapidly intensifying storm) should not matter,” says Balaguru. “(Milton) fits this pattern of storms intensifying faster with climate change. “I think that's something people should think about, especially when it happens like this, close to landfall.”

The storm is expected to move near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula today before approaching Florida on Wednesday. The storm surge could cause flooding of up to two meters on parts of the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Florida's Tampa Bay could potentially experience a catastrophic storm surge of 12 feet. Milton could experience increased wind shear before reaching Florida's Gulf Coast, weakening the storm. However, it is still expected to make landfall as a major hurricane “with life-threatening hazards.”

Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 storm, bringing a 15-foot storm surge to the area before cutting a devastating path through the southeastern states into North Carolina, devastating entire communities razed to the ground. Milton could prove even more dangerous for Florida in particular as it heads toward more populated regions along the state's west coast.