The science of how Hurricane Milton became such a monster
Hurricane Milton intensified at one of the fastest rates ever recorded, due in part to hot water in the Gulf of Mexico. A process of eyewall replacement also led the storm to grow in size.
At nearly every turn, Hurricane Milton has offered surprises.
What started as a small, tightly wound hurricane has grown into a sprawling monster that intensified at one of the fastest rates in recorded history. The storm threatens to send a dangerous surge of water to parts of both Florida’s west and east coasts, with the flood-prone metropolitan area of Tampa Bay — home to more than 3 million people — at particular risk.
As the storm developed, record warm seas in the Gulf of Mexico aided its intensification. Later, it grew in size as it underwent a process of eyewall replacement.
Here’s how Milton developed into such a significant threat.
Hurricanes that approach the U.S. typically follow a similar path: Tropical storms spin off of Africa’s west coast, traverse the Atlantic and grow in strength as they enter warm waters in the Caribbean Sea.
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