Milton still became one of the strongest recorded hurricanes in history. “I don’t have words to describe what hits,” said Bergren, quoted by the Focus weekly website.
“This hurricane is approaching the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere can produce over these ocean waters,” Bergren said.
8PM EDT: This is nothing short of astronomical. I am at a loss for words to meteorologically describe the storms small eye and intensity. 897mb pressure with 180 MPH max sustained winds and gusts 200+ MPH. This is now the 4th strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on… pic.twitter.com/QFdqFYFI7o
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) October 8, 2024
One of the unusual characteristics of Hurricane Milton is the size of its eye. It is less than 4 miles (about 6.5 km) in diameter, whereas normally it is between 20 and 40 miles (32 to 64 km). Research suggests that hurricanes with a smaller eye tend to be stronger.
Category of hurricanes
- 1st category – wind speed 119 to 153 km/h – very dangerous wind, risk of damage.
- 2nd category – wind speed 154 to 177 km/h – extremely dangerous wind and extensive damage.
- Category 3 – wind speed 178 to 208 km/h – devastating damage.
- 4th category – wind speed 209 to 251 km/h – catastrophic damage.
- 5th category – wind speed 252 and higher – catastrophic damage.
Residents around Tampa Bay, for which Milton could be the most dangerous hurricane in 100 years, used the last hours on Wednesday to evacuate. CNN reported that in the area where about three million people live, the roads are blocked, there is a shortage of gasoline, and hotels in safer parts of Florida are occupied.
People leave Florida before the hurricane hits.
Due to the approaching hurricane, which should hit the west coast of Florida early Thursday morning, airlines are gradually canceling more and more flights to Florida. On Wednesday morning, all flights from Great Britain to the USA were canceled and similar measures have already been introduced in other countries.
The return of the astronauts from the ISS space station was also delayed due to the elements. Crew 8, consisting of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, was supposed to detach from the International Space Station ISS this Monday. However, because their Crew Dragon capsule is supposed to land in the sea off the coast of Florida, the return was postponed until Sunday, the American space agency NASA announced. Crew 8 has been on board the ISS since March.
Hurricane Milton is headed for Florida.
Milton presents a great challenge even for emergency services in Florida. The Pentagon announced that thousands of National Guard members had been mobilized. Helicopters and vehicles capable of handling floods are ready for rescue operations. Emergency centers across the state were stocked to provide rapid assistance immediately after the storm.
