CNN's latest hurricane report says, "The power of Hurricane Milton is incredible." With sustained winds of 290 km/h, Milton is the strongest storm on the planet this year.
Milton is also the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Hurricane Dorian in 2019, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 300 km/h, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller.
With the latest developments, Hurricane Milton has become one of the 10 strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, with Milton ranked 9th on the list of historic storms such as Katrina in 2005 and Maria in 2017.
The strongest Atlantic storm ever 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 Hurricane Milton is continuing to strengthen and is still a dangerous Category 5 hurricane.
CNN meteorologist Mary Gilbert noted that Hurricane Milton has strengthened at a dizzying speed, increasing by 90 mph since 1:00 a.m. on October 7 and officially doubling in 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 storm forecast says Milton will make landfall in Florida on the night of October 9, near the Tampa Bay area. Milton is expected to weaken slightly before making landfall, but will be larger in size and still be a severe storm when making landfall.
"Today, we are witnessing a historic rate of increase in Milton's level. Unprecedented is the only word that can describe it" - CNN quoted hurricane expert Andy Hazleton as describing Hurricane Milton.
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified, surpassing all forecasts. The super typhoon quickly exploded from a tropical storm late on the morning of October 6 to a Category 5 storm just one day later.
Many other hurricane forecasters also expressed shock. M Milton is undergoing a period of extremely rapid intensification, meteorologist Tomer Burg told CNN.
The power of Hurricane Mitlon is really amazing, added Eric Webb, another meteorologist. The rate of strengthening Milton this morning is nothing short of legendary and almost unprecedented.
Only two Atlantic hurricanes have strengthened faster than Milton in 24 hours, CNN noted, but did not name the other two.
Milton is the second Category 5 storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Previously, Hurricane Beryl peaked as a Category 5 in the Caribbean Sea in early July.
According to NOAA data, only 40 have reached Category 5 status in the basin. Before the 2024 hurricane season, there were only two Category 5 hurricanes moving in the basin in 2020: Ian in 2022 and Lee in 2023.
