Hurricane Milton turned into a category 5 storm this Monday (7), considered the most powerful storm category, when it hit the southwest Gulf of Mexico, about 1183 kilometers from Tampa.
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Milton recorded winds of up to 257 km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Floridians are bracing for its arrival this week near Tampa, where it could bring high winds, life-threatening storm surge and torrential rain to the Gulf Coast for the second time in two weeks.
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.
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.
The storm is expected to reach the Gulf Coast of Florida this Wednesday (9). The eye of the hurricane could land anywhere along the Florida coast: from Cedar Key in the north to Naples in the south, possibly including the Tampa or Ft. Myers areas.
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 the damage — to evacuate or prepare for another life-threatening storm.
*With information from Reuters
This content was originally published in Video shows movement of Hurricane Milton on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
