Hurricane Milton, the ninth storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, underwent rapid intensification, reaching Category 5 status in the Gulf of Mexico by Monday, October 7, 2024. The storm gained strength at a near-record pace, becoming one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. This rapid intensification was fueled by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, which provided ample energy for the storm’s development. Warmer ocean temperatures often lead to stronger hurricanes, especially when other atmospheric conditions, like wind shear, are conducive.
Between 1:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday and 1:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, Milton’s winds increased by 95 mph, more than doubling the threshold for what meteorologists define as «rapid intensification.» According to early data, Milton’s rate of intensification is surpassed only by Hurricanes Wilma (2005) and Felix (2007), as per the National Hurricane Center (NHC) records. The hurricane reached maximum sustained winds of 180 mph on Monday afternoon, making it a Category 5 storm, with its central pressure dropping to 897 mb—another indicator of the storm’s extreme strength. Lower pressure generally correlates with a more intense hurricane.
By wind speed, Hurricane Milton is now the strongest storm to hit the Gulf of Mexico since 2005’s Hurricane Rita. In terms of pressure, it ranks as the fifth most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic. Additionally, Milton is the second Category 5 hurricane this season, following Hurricane Beryl in July. Since 1950, there have only been five other years with more than one Category 5 hurricane in a season: 1961, 2005, 2007, 2017, and 2019.
While fluctuations in the storm’s strength are anticipated before landfall, Milton is still expected to make landfall in Florida as a major hurricane later this week. The NHC has cautioned that «Milton could be among the most devastating hurricanes in the history of west-central Florida,» while the National Weather Service in Tampa has warned that «if Milton stays on its current path, it could be the most powerful hurricane to strike Tampa Bay in over a century.»
For the latest updates on the storm’s trajectory and potential impacts, visit the National Hurricane Center’s website.
Editor’s note (10/10/24): We’ve received questions regarding the comparison between Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Michael (2018). Michael, at its peak during landfall, reached Category 5 with winds of 160 mph and a central pressure of 919 mb, according to the NHC’s post-season analysis. Milton, in contrast, recorded peak winds of 180 mph and a pressure of 897 mb, though these were primarily observed while the storm was over open water.