Hurricane Milton grew from a tropical depression to a monstrous Category 5 hurricane in record time due to unprecedented ocean heat that climate scientists link to the planet-warming effects of burning fossil fuels.

Florida

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Hurricane Milton has made landfall as a Category Three system, causing tornadoes and widespread damage across parts of Florida.

Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton developed from a tropical depression into a fierce Category 5 hurricane in a notably short span, accelerated by record-high sea temperatures. Meteorologists observed Milton's swift intensification—from moderate winds to formidable 180 miles per hour gusts—marking an unprecedented transformation rate in the Gulf of Mexico. This rapid escalation left even experienced weather analysts astonished.

The underlying cause of Hurricane Milton’s unprecedented growth was tied to extraordinary ocean heat. As global sea surface temperatures in recent years have consistently surpassed historical averages, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, the warmth has been unparalleled in recent decades. This rise in temperature increases the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, fueling such storms to reach extraordinary intensities.

Supporting conditions contributing to Milton's intensification included a lack of interfering weather patterns, with lower wind resistance facilitating the hurricane’s intensification. This phenomenon raised concerns for those in the storm's potential path, emphasizing the dangerous potential of these climatic shifts. Climate scientists attribute these conditions to man-made climate change, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which raises atmospheric and oceanic temperatures. 

As Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton’s potential impact, researchers from World Weather Attribution are assessing the extent to which climate change amplified the storm's severity. Their findings are anticipated to be released soon, potentially reinforcing the link between global warming and intensified storm activity.



Hurricane Milton’s monstrous growth fuelled by record ocean heat

Milton started as a growl in the Gulf of Mexico, and within two days became a terrifying roar. The fastest shift from tropical depression to Category 5 hurricane ever seen there. Two days later, we were at 180 miles per hour winds. That kind of intensification is just extremely rare, if not unheard of. It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours. That speed leaving seasoned weather watchers speechless. I apologize, this is just horrific. And what's feeding the beast, what fed Hurricane Helene just before it, record ocean heat. This is the global average sea surface temperatures for roughly the last 30 years. But in 2023 and 2024, every month the heat has surpassed that by a huge margin. And zooming into the Gulf of Mexico, it's more intense. 2024's heat so far, higher than the last decade. And a few degrees matter. Small differences in temperature, boom, big differences in the amount of water vapor that's getting put into the atmosphere. And that water vapor is really the fuel of the storm. The other conditions that let Milton rage was a lack of other weather patterns. Slower winds, air offering less resistance to the rapidly forming vortex. Making that build up especially troubling for those in the hurricane's path. Especially for the area that I grew up in, I feel it's very heavy. And climate scientists link the warm oceans that supercharged Milton to the planet warming effect from burning fossil fuels. It traps energy around the planet, close to the surface and warms up our air temperatures. But that also contributes to that heat getting eventually down into the ocean. And as Florida braces for the might of Milton, researchers with world weather attribution are already looking at how much of its scale and ferocity was caused by climate change. That analysis expected within days. Anand Ram, CBC News, Toronto.

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Hurricane Milton