Hurricane Milton is currently going through EXTREMELY rapid intensification in the Gulf of Mexico. When I went to bed last night, it was a Category 1 hurricane. Now, it is a mammoth Category 5 hurricane with wind speeds of 175mph, and a barometric pressure of 911 millibars. It is STILL strengthening. It's one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history, and it might actually become THE strongest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history. The Tampa Bay area is currently directly in its path.

Edited October 7, 2024Oct 7 by DanielsAloud

Just days after Helene became the most deadly hurricane in mainland US since Katrina. Florida's having a wild wild season. Very scary for anyone in that part of the world.

 

Also first time we've had three hurricanes in the Atlantic in October with Kirk and Leslie out in the centre (and the remains of Kirk soon to give us a light smattering of rain in the UK most likely)

Wind speeds are now at 180mph and barometric pressure is at 905mb. It's the lowest barometric pressure recorded in the Atlantic basin since 2007's Hurricane Dean.

Barometric pressure is now at 897 millibars. It is the first Atlantic hurricane since Wilma in 2005 to have a barometric pressure below 900 millibars, and only the 6th Atlantic hurricane to achieve this feat.

This one looks particularly bad. We have to hope that when it comes out the other side of Florida it keeps going straight on and doesn’t curve back towards the coast. That’s happened before and with horrific consequences

 

 

This season is one of the worst on record, the warm waters in the Gulf are supercharging storms

I've been in Florida just after previous hurricanes, the damage down in the Keys/Miami area was particularly bad one year - and I'm doing the same again, sadly, off to Orlando a week on Saturday assuming everything is still open. If not, it could be a very quiet 2 weeks, but forecasts seem to suggest it will have reduced intensity away from the coast. Fingers-crossed everyone takes notice of warnings and battens down the hatches and drives north or south today & tomorrow morning from the Tampa Bay area for a day or 2.

After weakening back down to a Category 4 last night, Milton is back at Category 5. 165mph winds with a barometric pressure of 918mb.

My cousin's in Key West. May escape the worst but will still be very wet and windy.

Hurricane Milton has just made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120mph.

Hurricane Milton has just made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120mph.

 

That's a day in Britain's winter season

Yeh strong but not as strong as thought although the storm surges will still be bad!

Considering weathermen were crying on TV this is a pretty standard storm. They have to stop overhyping these things it feels like they do it twice a year

Edited October 10, 2024Oct 10 by Liam sota

It’s not a standard storm at all.

 

It thankfully weakened from a Cat5 to a Cat3 by landfall but the wind is only one part of it. The Strom surge that it is bringing with it is historic, the highest recorded in these parts of Florida, and it’s actually the storm surge that causes more death and destruction in a Hurricane than the wind. Many newer buildings have windows for example designed to withstand the impact of a Cat4 with sustained 150mph winds and guts of over 200mph. The biggest danger that hurricanes bring is water, that’s what caused the absolute majority of the devastation and deaths from Helene.

 

Its also an extremely wide storm (partly why it’s weakened) and that breadth has lead to more parts of the coast seeing high storm surges and has led to a much wider storm system that has caused things like Tornadoes even hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm itself

Damages are currently expected to be somewhere between $30 billion and $50 billion USD.

Thankfully the forecasts have been pretty bang on with regards to track though I'm seeing a scarily high number of people (esp. on TikTok) who are totally unable to evacuate out of their control due to high cost, traffic congestion and inadequate gas in refill stations.

Damages are currently at least $85 billion (£65.58 billion), making it the sixth costliest Atlantic hurricane on record.

Edited October 26, 2024Oct 26 by DanielsAloud