How did Hurricane Milton reach Category 5 strength so quickly? | Hurricane Milton

How much did Hurricane Milton grow?

With parts of the southern United States still reeling from devastating Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton's rapid advance has caught many by surprise.

In barely a day, Milton transformed from a tropical storm into a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest possible classification, with winds of 180 miles per hour as it swept across the Gulf of Mexico toward the heart of Florida.

The storm experienced “rapid intensification,” which is when a storm increased by at least 35 mph (56 km/h) in 24 hours. According to the research group Climate Central, Milton's blistering speed exceeded that benchmark, accelerating by 90 miles per hour in about 25 hours.

This has resulted in one of the strongest hurricanes ever to threaten the United States, although Milton weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm on Tuesday due to mass evacuations in the Tampa area. “This is nothing short of astronomical,” said Noah Bergren, a Florida-based meteorologist. “This hurricane is approaching the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere can produce over this ocean water.”

How could it become so strong so quickly?

When hurricanes form, their strength is determined by a number of factors such as thunderstorms and wind shear, which can disrupt the storm's tight circular organization.

However, a crucial factor in rapid intensification is the heat content of the ocean and atmosphere. Hotter air and hotter water give a storm more energy, causing it to spin faster and loading it with more moisture, which is then released into communities in flash floods of rainfall, causing flooding.

Crucially, the Gulf of Mexico is reaching record temperatures for much of this year and its water is comparable to a bathtub in summer. Milton's core crosses exceptionally warm water, about 2 °C to 3 °C (3 °F to 5 °F) hotter than average for this time of year. Milton becomes charged by excess heat, similar to Helene two weeks ago.

What causes such violent storms?

While hurricanes have always formed in this part of the world, scientists are aware that global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels is likely making storms faster, stronger and wetter.

A study published last year found that the likelihood of rapid intensification of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic is around 29% higher compared to the period between 1971 and 1990. Other research has found that natural variability alone cannot explain the increase in rapidly intensifying storms. points to the role of climate change.

Milton joins a growing list of storms that have quickly become catastrophic, life-changing hurricanes in recent years, such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Hurricane Laura in 2020, Hurricane Ida in 2021 and Hurricane Ian in 2020 Year 2022, the two different rounds experienced rapid intensification. Overall, the U.S. has seen more Category 4 or 5 Atlantic hurricanes hit since 2017 than in the previous 57 years.

“We are experiencing a truly extraordinary and regionally quite deadly and destructive period of extreme weather events across the United States,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. “And quite honestly: the fingerprints of the climate (the climate crisis) can be found everywhere that has happened in the last few weeks.”

What does this mean for the risks people now face?

For those on the west coast of Florida, a state whose population has surged over the past decade, the one-two punch of Helene and Milton will be catastrophic, requiring months or even years of rebuilding and bringing together shattered lives.

In the longer term, the climate crisis, including more severe storms, will only get worse as global temperatures continue to rise. Not only does this mean more death and destruction, but it also heralds a sea change in where it is considered “safe” to live as climate impacts hit seemingly harmless regions and insurers retreat from covering homes and homes in the face of mounting financial losses withdraw company.

The climate crisis has forced its way onto the agenda of the US presidential election in the most spectacular and dire way possible.