In these hours the hurricane Milton has just entered the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane Leslie moves along the Aliseo towards the Antilles, while the former hurricane Kirk is in sight of Finisterre. The exceptional “family photo” I present in this article was taken on 6th October by one of the geostationary satellites of Noaa, which, orbiting west of Meteosat, continuously captures the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern part of the American continent.

Cyclone Milton, after having brushed the Yucatan peninsula, has weakened slightly from category 5 to category 4 and is heading for the Gulf of Florida coast. The National Hurricane Center predicts that the “potentially catastrophic” storm will crash into the densely populated city of Tampa Bay on Wednesday, less than two weeks after the state was hit by hurricane Helene. Florida citizens have been invited to prepare for the largest evacuation operation in years.

Milton (credit CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

The 2024 hurricane season, after a violent start with hurricane Beryl, the earliest category 5 Atlantic hurricane ever, is proving one of the most active, one month before its official closure. Near record sea surface temperatures and the possibility of La Nina appear to be key factors.

Alessandro Casarino – Navimeteo