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Hurricane Milton Becomes Category 5 Storm with 180 mph Winds, Among Most Intense in Atlantic History

Oct 13, 2024, 02:00 PM

Hurricane Milton has become one of the most intense and rapidly intensifying storms in Atlantic history. Over a 24-hour period from October 7 to October 8, Milton intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm, with sustained winds reaching 180 miles per hour (290 kilometers per hour). The storm's central barometric pressure dropped to 897 mb, making it the fifth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the most intense since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Milton's rapid intensification, with wind speeds increasing by 90 mph in just over a day, has been attributed to the anomalously warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. National Hurricane Center noted that this extra heat contributed to Milton becoming the second-fastest intensifying Atlantic hurricane on record. Meteorologists have been astounded by the storm's development, which also saw it plunge below 905 mb twice, a first in recorded history for an Atlantic hurricane. Milton struck the Florida coastline with a central barometric pressure of 954 mb, tying for 69th place in terms of intensity at landfall. The storm's stable cyclonic structure allowed it to maximize the warm Gulf waters' energy.