Hurricane Milton: What is a storm surge as 'life-threatening' weather system guns towards Florida

Hurricane Milton dropped to a Category 4 aboriginal contiguous arsenic it churns toward Florida's westbound seashore but it volition stay a large hurricane erstwhile it makes landfall connected Thursday

Hurricane Milton is acceptable to origin terrible demolition erstwhile it makes landfall successful Florida tomorrow.

The Tampa Bay area, location to much than 3.3 cardinal Americans, faces the anticipation of wide devastation aft avoiding nonstop hits from large hurricanes for much than a century. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and apical national officials warned Milton could origin historical devastation. Mr Biden, 81, said: "It’s looking similar the tempest of the century."

Florida's Gulf Coast is particularly susceptible to tempest surge, the word utilized to picture a alteration successful oversea level that is caused by a storm. Possibly 1 of the astir melodramatic weather events, it is arsenic a effect of debased pressure, precocious winds and tidal conditions. When Hurricane Katrina approached the US seashore successful 2005, it generated a tempest surge of much than 8 metres successful immoderate areas and Hurricane Milton is feared to make akin levels.

The Met Office says tempest surges are caused by precocious winds pushing seawater towards the coast, causing it to heap up there. Strong winds make ample waves connected apical of the surge which tin adhd to the flood risk. The upwind service's website reads: "The main origin of a tempest surge is precocious winds pushing the seawater towards the coast, causing it to heap up there.

"There is besides a smaller publication from the debased unit astatine the centre of the tempest "pulling" the h2o level up, by astir 1 cm for each 1 millibar alteration successful pressure. This is called the inverse barometer effect and is akin to what happens erstwhile you portion done a straw.

"The beardown winds successful the tempest make ample waves connected apical of the surge which tin origin harm to oversea defences, oregon spill implicit the apical adding to the flood risk. In the lawsuit of tropical storms (such arsenic hurricanes), determination whitethorn besides beryllium a precise ample magnitude of rainfall which further increases the hazard of flooding.

"On the December 5, 2013, a ample tempest surge deed the eastbound seashore of the UK, causing wide flooding on the coast. This was a premier illustration of debased pressure, precocious winds and precocious tidal conditions combining." More than 2500 radical were killed astir the North Sea coastline, including 307 successful England and 19 successful Scotland, aft a tempest surge connected January 31, 1953.

As good arsenic the nonaccomplishment of life, the flooding caused a large woody of harm to people's homes and businesses and ruined ample areas of farmland. Following the 1953 tempest surge, the UK Government invested overmuch much successful improved oversea defences, specified arsenic the Thames Barrier, and effectual informing systems.