Climate change and how hurricane Milton became a Category 5 storm Premium
The Hindu
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm, highlighting the connection between climate change and extreme weather events.
Hurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record as it went from barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm in less than a day on a path across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.
With sustained winds that reached 180 mph on Oct. 7, 2024, and very low pressure, it also became one of the strongest Atlantic storms.
Milton’s winds dipped to Category 4 strength early on Oct. 8, but forecasters warned that it would still be an extremely dangerous hurricane at landfall.
Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact, this kind of storm was the last thing Florida wanted to see. Hurricane Milton was expected to make landfall as a major hurricane on Oct. 9 and had already prompted widespread evacuations.
So, what exactly is rapid intensification, and what does global climate change have to do with it? We research hurricane behaviour and teach meteorology. Here’s what you need to know.
Rapid intensification is defined by the National Weather Service as an increase in a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speed of at least 30 knots – about 35 mph within a 24-hour period. That increase can be enough to escalate a storm from Category 1 to Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Milton’s wind speed went from 80 mph to 175 mph from 1 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Monday, and its pressure dropped from 988 millibars to 911. Most of that intensification was over just 12 hours.