Satellite footage taken by NOAA’s GOES-East satellite on 8 October 2024 shows Hurricane Milton intensifying as it travels east toward Florida. Photo: NOAA By Denise Chow 7 October 2024 (NBC News) – Hurricane Milton’s last 36 hours have been nothing short of astonishing, as it strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just over a day. The storm’s blisteringly fast evolution is part of a trend of rapidly intensifying storms fueled by climate change. The term “rapid intensification” describes an increase in sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph over a 24-hour period, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Milton has obliterated that minimum, undergoing “extreme rapid intensification”: Its maximum sustained wind speed increased by 90 mph in roughly 25 hours, according to the nonprofit research group Climate Central. Time for hurricanes to reach Category 4, 2022-2024. Among Category 4 and larger hurricanes since 2022, Milton reached Category 4 status the fastest. Source: NBC News analysis of National Centers for Environmental Information and National Hurricane Center data. Graphic: Joe Murphy / NBC News Global warming is boosting the intensity of storms by providing the ingredients necessary for them to strengthen, including warm sea surface temperatures and high levels of moisture in the atmosphere. “Warming oceans, due to human-caused climate change, are fueling stronger tropical cyclones,” Climate Central posted Monday on X. When a storm forms, warm water and the right atmospheric conditions act as extra energy, helping it gain speed and power quickly as it churns along its path. Because a warmer atmosphere can also hold more moisture, that makes storms capable of dumping tremendous rainfall over land. As such, climate change-fueled hurricanes can cause more severe flooding and be more destructive overall. https://twitter.com/NbergWX/status/1843444771135861007 Milton, which is expected to ma