NASA Footage Reveals Hurricane Milton Strengthening into Category 5 Storm Approaching Florida

New footage from the International Space Station (ISS) shows Hurricane Milton quickly becoming a Category 5 storm as it gets closer to Florida.

The video, taken by an external camera at 10:28 a.m. EDT on October 7, reveals the storm's small eye and strong winds of 180 mph (290 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.

Meteorologist Noah Bergren from Fox 35 Orlando described the phenomenon as extraordinary, noting, “This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth's atmosphere can produce.” Milton escalated from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just a few hours, becoming the fifth most intense storm in Atlantic history before downgrading to a Category 4. It is expected to maintain this strength until making landfall near Tampa Bay on Wednesday night (October 9) or Thursday morning (October 10).

Additional footage from NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) shows the hurricane swirling above the Yucatán Peninsula.

Satellite images reveal cold temperatures at the storm's center, indicating deep convection and strong thunderstorms. GOES-19 also captured striking visuals of Milton’s small eye and lightning flashes in its eye wall.

As the hurricane approaches, evacuation orders have been given across Florida. The state is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which hit less than two weeks ago.

Record-high sea surface temperatures since March 2023 have contributed to a particularly active hurricane season, allowing storms like Milton to intensify rapidly.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch stated, “This is the most impactful storm we have faced, much stronger than Hurricane Helene. We will be rebuilding for years because of Hurricane Helene, and this storm will only exacerbate that.”