Several confirmed tornadoes have devastated South Florida since Wednesday morning, as rain bands from Hurricane Milton make landfall.
“This is a very favorable environment for dangerous, fast-moving tornadoes,” the U.S. National Weather Service warned.
Meteorologists from CNN Mary Gilbert and Brandon Miller explain that Milton’s outer rain is interacting with an extended front over Florida, which charges the atmosphere with an extra boost of energy.
The state will also warm up during the afternoon before the heaviest rains and thick cloud cover from the hurricane arrive and limit further warming.
Heat fuels severe storms, they explain.
The extra atmospheric energy, combined with afternoon heat, some lingering dry air and additional rotation in Milton’s atmosphere will allow the hurricane produces some tornadoes in the next few hours.
A level 3 out of 5 risk of severe storms exists this Wednesday (9) in parts of Florida, mainly due to the tornado risk that Milton poses.
“The highest tornado potential should be concentrated this afternoon and even in parts of central and south Florida,” the Storm Prediction Center warned on Wednesday.
Florida is in a tough spot when it comes to hurricanes and tornadoes in the Gulf. Most tropical tornadoes happen on the right side of the storm and are exactly south and central Florida in the path of Milton.
Almost unprecedented rapid intensification
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified to a nearly unprecedented level, reaching Category 5 status due to record heat in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Currently, it is in category 3 and has had an updated route, allowing it to arrive in Florida at 11pm this Wednesday (9), local time.
It is expected to grow in size, meaning that while it may shrink in category, its dangerous impacts will be spread over a much larger area.
Hurricane Milton was considered the strongest storm on the planet in 2024, with sustained winds of 281 km/h.
Recently, Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a storm surge and made landfall in the swamp region as a Category 4 hurricane.
Authorities are asking residents — still recovering from Helene’s damage — to evacuate or prepare for another life-threatening storm.
This content was originally published in Tornadoes devastate parts of Florida before Hurricane Milton arrives; understand on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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