Milton was a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico early Monday, its most recent designation. warning National Hurricane Center.
Milton had sustained winds of 145 kilometers per hour.
All times on the map are in Eastern Time.
Where will the flood occur?
A storm surge is ocean water pushed toward the coast by stormy winds; Historically, it has been the leading cause of deaths from hurricanes. If a storm surge occurs during high tides, it can have far-reaching effects.
Places:
Where is it going to rain?
A second serious hazard from hurricanes is flash flooding, which can occur both inland and far from the storm's center. Even weak storms can produce heavy rainfall that can flood low-lying areas.
Milton will be the 13th tropical cyclone to form in the Atlantic in 2024.
As of late May, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there will be between 17 and 25 named tropical cyclones this year, far above normal.
What does a hurricane look like from above?
Satellite images can help determine the strength, size and coordination of tropical cyclones. The stronger a hurricane becomes, the more likely it is to develop an eye in the center. When the eye is symmetrical, it usually means the hurricane hasn't encountered anything to weaken it.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office
The season follows a more active year, with 20 named tropical cyclones, including the initial storm that was later given the official name “Unnamed.” This is the eighth consecutive year that the average of 14 named hurricanes has been exceeded. Only one hurricane, Italia, made landfall in the United States.
In general, last season's El Niño pattern suppressed hurricanes and reduced the number of tropical cyclones in a season. However, in 2023, warmer Atlantic Ocean temperatures mitigated the usual effect that El Niño has on hurricanes.
Warm ocean temperatures that intensified during last year's hurricane season returned even warmer early this season, boosting forecasters' confidence that there will be more tropical cyclones this year. Rising sea surface temperatures may strengthen hurricanes faster than usual.
To make matters worse, last year's El Niño pattern is also waning, which will create more favorable conditions for tropical cyclones to form and intensify.
Hurricanes need a calm environment to develop, and in the Atlantic, a strong El Niño increases the change in wind speed and/or direction with height – disrupting the ability of a hurricane to form. In the absence of El Nino this year, the clouds are more likely to rise to the great heights needed to support powerful hurricanes.
Sources and References
Monitoring map Source: National Hurricane Center | Notes: Graph shows at least 5 percent probabilities. The forecast is for a maximum of five days, and that period starts three hours before the cyclone is expected to reach its final destination. There are no wind speed probability data north of 60.25 degrees north latitude.
Air arrival time table Sources: New York Times analysis of National Hurricane Center data (visit times); US Census Bureau and Natural Earth (geographical locations); Google (Time Zones) | Notes: Table shows forecast arrival times of damaging winds of 93 km/h or higher for specific cities. If damaging winds arrive at a location, there is no more than a 10 percent chance that they will arrive before the time marked “Soon,” and no more than a 50 percent chance that they will arrive before the time marked “Soon.” Most likely.”
Radar map Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Iowa State University | Notes: These mosaics are created by combining the more than 130 individual radars that make up the NEXRAD network.
Storm surge map Source: National Hurricane Center | Notes: Actual flood prone areas may differ from the areas shown on this map. This map includes tides, but not floods caused by tides or rain. The map also includes transitional zones that are often flooded during regular high tides.
Satellite map Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office | Notes: Images will be updated only between sunrise and sunset of the cyclone's last location.
