Today’s news / Hurricane Milton’s eye alarmingly calm as it nears Florida
A man is cycling through the quiet streets of the city of Tampa in the American state of Florida, while Hurricane Milton is approaching the state's west coast. Photo: Spencer Platt/Ritzau Scanpix

Hurricane Milton’s eye alarmingly calm as it nears Florida

Hurricane Milton has intensified overnight as it approaches Florida, being upgraded to a Category 5 – the strongest on the hurricane scale. The National Hurricane Center reports winds up to 285 km/h and extremely low air pressure in the hurricane’s eye, which often signals a powerful impact. Following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 26 as a Category 4 storm and resulted in at least 230 fatalities, authorities are still clearing debris that could be further hurled by Milton. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for areas including parts of Tampa. Florida’s west coast is bracing for significant storm surges on Tuesday night or early Wednesday with potential water levels reaching up to 3.6 meters and torrential rains expected to cause severe flooding. Scientists suggest that climate change may play a role in hurricanes’ explosive development due to warmer oceans providing more energy.