Hurricane Milton has set a new record as the fastest Atlantic storm to intensify from a Tropical Storm to a Category 5 hurricane. The storm achieved this feat in just over 48 hours, marking a remarkable speed of intensification never observed before in an Atlantic-forming hurricane, according to NASA.
Milton started forming on Saturday, October 5, and was classified as a tropical storm by the National Weather Service shortly after its formation. Within 24 hours of becoming a named storm, Milton had strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. From 1pm CDT on Sunday to 1pm CDT on Monday, the hurricane gained an additional 95mph (153kph) in wind speed, meeting the criteria for rapid intensification twice in the same 24-hour period.
Hurricane Milton’s sustained winds peaked at 180mph on Monday, making it the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005 and the fifth most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center warned that Milton could further strengthen and expand in size before making landfall in the densely populated Tampa Bay metro area.
Ahead of the storm’s arrival, K-12 schools in 43 out of Florida’s 46 counties were closed, and the Orlando International Airport suspended commercial passenger flights as a safety precaution. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that those who choose not to evacuate from designated areas are at risk of dire consequences.
The rapid succession of Hurricane Milton following Hurricane Helene, which caused significant damage and casualties, has raised concerns among officials. Castor described Helene as a “wake-up call” and expressed fears that Milton could bring catastrophic impacts. Some researchers have even proposed the introduction of a new “Category 6” classification for hurricanes with sustained winds exceeding 192 mph, citing the increasing intensity of storms fueled by warming ocean waters due to climate change.
The potential for hurricanes to become more powerful than ever before has sparked discussions about the need for updated categorizations to better reflect the changing nature of these extreme weather events. The study suggests that storms like Typhoon Haiyan and Hurricane Patricia would have qualified for a hypothetical Category 6 designation, indicating a growing recognition of the evolving threats posed by climate-driven hurricanes.