CNN's latest storm report says, "The power of Hurricane Milton is unbelievable." With sustained winds of 290 km/h, Hurricane Milton is the strongest storm on the planet this year.
Milton is also the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since Hurricane Dorian in 2019, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 186 mph, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.
With the latest developments, super storm Milton has become one of the 10 strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, of which Milton ranks 9th in the list of historical storms such as Katrina in 2005 and Maria in 2017.
The strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded was Hurricane Allen in 1980 with maximum sustained winds of 305 km/h.
However, the latest hurricane forecast from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns that super typhoon Milton is continuing to strengthen and is still a dangerous category 5 hurricane.
CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert noted that Hurricane Milton has been gaining strength at a dizzying pace, increasing its speed by 145 km/h since 1 a.m. on October 7 and officially doubling its strength in less than 24 hours.
Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of Florida with impacts expected to begin within 48 hours. Storm surge warnings have also been issued for some coastal areas.
The latest hurricane forecast says Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida on the night of October 9, near the Tampa Bay area. Milton is forecast to weaken slightly before making landfall, but will grow in size and remain a powerful storm when it makes landfall.
"Today, we are witnessing the historic rate of intensification of Milton. Unprecedented is the only word that can describe it" - CNN quoted the description of super storm Milton by storm expert Andy Hazleton.
Hurricane Milton has accelerated beyond all forecasts, rapidly expanding from a tropical storm late on the morning of October 6 to a Category 5 hurricane just a day later.
Many other forecasters also expressed shock. “Milton is going through a very rapid intensification phase,” meteorologist Tomer Burg told CNN.
The strength of Milton is “absolutely incredible,” added Eric Webb, another meteorologist. “The rate at which Milton has intensified this morning is nothing short of legendary and almost unprecedented.”
CNN noted that only two Atlantic hurricanes intensified faster than Milton in 24 hours, but did not name the other two storms.
During the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Milton is the second hurricane to reach Category 5 strength. Previously, Hurricane Beryl peaked as a Category 5 in the Caribbean Sea in early July.
According to NOAA data, only 40 Category 5 hurricanes have ever moved through the basin. Prior to the 2024 season, only two Category 5 storms had moved through the basin in the 2020s: Ian in 2022 and Lee in 2023.
