By Federico Trabucci
08 Oct 2024, 09:29 AM EDT
Hurricane Milton, which experienced “explosive” intensification over the past 24 hours, has decreased in strength but is expected to increase in size before making landfall in Florida.
This will affect “larger” areas, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned this Tuesday.
The agency confirmed that Milton’s intensity has dropped from category 5 to 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale in recent hours.
However, the winds, which reach 250 kilometers per hour, remain “extremely dangerous.”
Follow the latest news from Hurricane Milton live:
09:50
Hurricane Milton approaches Florida: “Time is running out”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned this morning that “time is running out” to leave before Milton hits the state in the coming hours, which forecasters say will be an “extremely powerful hurricane” and the strongest in the Gulf of Florida. Mexico in almost 20 years, since Rita in 2005.
09:49
How is a hurricane formed?
A hurricane forms over the ocean when the water is warm (more than 26°C). The water evaporates and the hot air rises, creating a vacuum that causes cool air to enter and begin to rotate.
This process generates winds that intensify over time, forming a hurricane.
09:40
When could Hurricane Milton arrive in Florida?
Milton’s vortex could reach Tampa Bay, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people, as early as Wednesday night. The county where Tampa is located ordered the evacuation of areas adjacent to the bay and all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday night.
“You don’t have to get on the interstate and go very far,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday morning, assuring residents there would be enough gas for the trip. “They can go dozens of miles away; They don’t have to be hundreds. “There are options.”
09:38
Harsh warning from the mayor of Tampa
“This Milton thing is serious,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she will win 100% of the time.”
09:29
LIVE: follow the path of Hurricane Milton
09:26
They assure that Hurricane Milton is “extremely powerful”
Despite the reduction in intensity, the development of the hurricane continues to cause alerts throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Authorities warn that Milton is extremely powerful, located north of the Yucatan Peninsula, and represents an “extremely serious threat” to Florida.