Milton Reaches Category 5 Strength Again, Rare Occurrence

Highway signage announces the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton and the evacuations zones on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

The latest update from the National Hurricane Center confirms that Milton has regained its status as a rare Category 5 hurricane. This powerful storm first reached Category 5 status on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and maintained its strength until 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

Forecasters predict that Milton's intensity will fluctuate over the next 36 hours. However, before making landfall on the west coast of Florida, the hurricane is expected to weaken slightly to a still formidable Category 3.

It first reached Category 5 on Monday at 11 a.m. ET.

Milton is a rare Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic.

Maintained Category 5 status until 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to data from NOAA, only 42 hurricanes in the Atlantic have reached Category 5 strength on record, making Milton's resurgence particularly noteworthy. Prior to this season, only two Category 5 hurricanes had been observed in the 2020s: Ian in 2022 and Lee in 2023.