from storm to category 5 cyclone in less than 24 hours

He Hurricane Miltonborn in the Gulf of Mexico, entered the history of meteorology by going from tropical storm to category 5 hurricane -the maximum- in less than 24 hours, widening with winds that passed very quickly from 100 km/h to 260 km/h. Although it has fallen to Category 4, it will affect Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula throughout Tuesday and is expected to make landfall in Florida in the early hours of Wednesday, an area already affected by the Hurricane Helene.

The United States National Hurricane Center estimated that Milton would impact the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, so it ordered the evacuation of more than three million peopleincluding those affected by Hélène who had been relocated to the region. As it turns out, debris accumulated from the previous hurricane is still blocking the roads, and residents are reporting that there is no fuel for cars.

Although Milton has moved down one category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, he still maintains wind gusts of 250 km/h, and the forecast is “extreme danger” with “catastrophic” damage to infrastructure and the electrical system. To date, it is the third fastest intensifying hurricane in history when encountering extremely warm ocean waters. Images from specialist John Moraleswho could not hold back her tears on the air while describing this intensification live, went viral.

Another factor that surprised meteorologists was the eastward route Milton followed. “It is extremely rare for a hurricane to form in the western Gulf, move eastward, and eventually make landfall on the west coast of Florida,” he explains. Jonathan Linatmospheric scientist from Cornell University, in statements to the agency Reuters. “This has big implications, since The path of the storm determines the point at which it will reach its zenith“.

Thus, a maritime storm is expected with waves between three and 4.5 meters high along hundreds of kilometers of coastline, the hurricane having gained strength in recent hours. According to forecasts, Milton will touch the port of Progreso in the Yucatán on Tuesday morning -local time- and will advance towards the capital of the region, the historic city of Merida which has a population of 1,200,000 inhabitants.

In Florida, major evacuation orders were issued in Pinellas and Lee counties, affecting 500,000 and 416,000 people, respectively. Six other coastal counties also issued the order, including Hillsborough, which includes the city of Tampa. Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts continue to mitigate the effects of Hélène, who left 200 dead and billions in damages in at least six states.