Storm-battered Florida braced for a direct hit from Hurricane Milton which strengthened back to a Category 5 storm, as US President Joe Biden begged residents to flee what he warned could be the worst natural disaster to hit the state in a century.
As the second huge hurricane in as many weeks rumbled toward Florida's west coast, a sense of looming catastrophe spread as people raced to board up homes and flee.
"It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole," Mr Biden said from the White House, urging those under orders to leave to "evacuate now, now, now."
- Hurricane Milton, currently moving towards the US state of Florida, may reach wind speeds that go beyond Category 5, currently the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, prompting a scientific debate about the need to add another tier to the international classficiation, Newsweek reported.
According to the report, gusts of wind brought by Milton reached the speed of 80 meters per second at some point, while Category 5 hurricanes envisages winds of up to 70 meters per second.
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Cyclone Milton has continued to strengthen in recent hours – and is now, once again, a category five hurricane. Sustained winds at its center are around 270 km/h (165 mph) with gusts even stronger than that.
ReplyDeleteThe storm's strength is due, in part, to the extremely warm oceans it travels through. Sea surface temperatures in this area of the world are significantly higher than normal, which scientists say has become many times more likely due to climate change.