As Florida and other southeastern states were reeling from Hurricane Helene’s effects in early October 2024, another tropical threat brewed over the Gulf of Mexico.
As Florida and other southeastern states were reeling from Hurricane Helene’s effects in early October 2024, another tropical threat brewed over the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Milton began as a tropical storm on October 5, and by October 7, it had reached Category 5 hurricane strength. Forecasters expect Milton to make landfall late on October 9 in the Tampa Bay area and sweep across central Florida.
Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico—well above average for this time of year—helped fueled the storm’s rapid intensification. Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speeds increase at least 30 knots (35 miles per hour) over a 24-hour period. Milton strengthened at nearly triple that rate, with winds increasing from 80 to 175 miles per hour in 24 hours from October 6–7.
These maps show sea surface temperatures on October 6, using data from the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) project based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Surface waters above 82 degrees Fahrenheit (27.8 degrees Celsius)—the temperature generally required to sustain and intensify hurricanes—are dark red. The map on the right is overlaid with brightness temperature data, acquired by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-21 satellite in the early morning of October 7, to show the location of Milton’s storm clouds.
Read More: NASA Earth Observatory
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