Milton is now forecast to reach Category 5 strength
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
An extremely warm Gulf of Mexico fueling Milton’s ongoing rapid intensification is now expected to propel the hurricane into rare territory.
Milton has sustained winds of 155 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. That’s just 2 mph away from a Category 5 hurricane, which the storm is now forecast to reach later today.
Previously, Milton was expected to max out as a powerful Category 4 storm but Gulf waters are acting like rocket fuel for the hurricane.
Once Milton hits Category 5, it’ll be the second Atlantic hurricane to do so this year. Beryl maxed out as the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record while in the Caribbean Sea back in early July.
Only 40 hurricanes have gotten this powerful in the basin on record, according to data from NOAA. Before this season, only two Category 5 hurricanes roamed the basin in the 2020s: 2022’s Ian and 2023’s Lee.
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