Milton update: How are hurricanes categorized and why is there no Category 6?

In a matter of hours, Hurricane Milton grew into a Category 5 storm on Monday, with wind speeds surging by an astonishing 90 mph in just over a day, a process meteorologists call " rapid intensification ." This intensification was caused by unusually warm ocean water in the Gulf of Mexico, which is near record-high temperatures in 2024. On Tuesday morning, Milton slightly weakened to an "extremely.

.. Tracy Brown Hamilton.