Tropical Cyclones Intensify Faster

Hurricane Milton which is currently barreling towards the Central Florida coast and has been classified as one of the strongest Atlantic cyclones ever measured, is just one of the hurricanes which underwent extreme rapid intensification recently. In fact, data by NGO Climate Central shows that in the past 20 years starting from 2023, 27 hurricanes were classified as having increased their wind speeds by 58 mph or more in just 24 hours. In the 20 years prior to that, this number had been 12. Looking at all hurricanes that underwent rapid intensification by increasing wind speeds by 35 mph or more in 24 hours, these numbers were 93 between 2004 and 2023 vs. 69 hurricanes between 1984 and 2003. In 2024, another hurricane that was found to have been undergoing extreme rapid intensification was Beryl, which made landfall in the Caribbean and finally in the Houston area in July - a very early occurrence of such a strong hurricane. Hurricanes Debby, Francine and Kirk also rapidly intensified in 2024.

Warmer waters are a key factor in rapid intensification. While expectations of a renewed La Niña phase underscore hurricane danger in the Atlantic, waters are also warming in general due to climate change. Ocean waters that are warmer for longer periods of time over the summer and fall increase the chances of a stronger and longer hurricane season, as the occurrence of Beryl in July shows.

Additionally, Milton was classified as having been the storm that intensified from a tropical depression to a category 5 hurricane the fastest, taking around 49 hours to increase wind speeds by 125 mph from 35 mph to 160 mph. Since then, Milton's top sustained wind speed has been measured at 180 mph, tying for third place as the fastest hurricane measured since records began. While better measuring could have played a role in more hurricanes being classified as rapidly intensifying and extremely rapidly intensifying, several studies have confirmed that the phenomenon has become more widespread with hurricanes.