Hurricane Milton: ‘2024 not an unusual year for storms’

As Hurricane Milton - a category 3 hurricane - makes landfall in Florida, Professor Liz Stephens comments on the large storms that have caused chaos in 2024. 

Professor Liz Stephens, Professor  in Climate Risks and Resilience, said: “2024 is not a standout year in terms of the number of storms that form. In fact, by this point in 2020 storms were being named based on the Greek Alphabet, whereas this year we’re only up to ‘M’. In 2020, 30 storms formed during the Atlantic Hurricane Season, whereas this year so far there have only been 13. In 2005, the year of Hurricane Katrina's devastating impact in New Orleans, 28 storms formed, with a record 15 of those reaching hurricane strength.

"What has been unusual about this hurricane season is Hurricane Beryl right at the start of the season, which was unusually strong for the time of year. Another surprise was Hurricanes Helene and Milton arriving one after another. These clusters of storms prove quite a challenge for emergency preparedness and response.

"Tornados are not uncommon in the outer rain bands of hurricanes, particularly ahead of the centre of the storm. The impacts from these tornadoes underline that we shouldn't only focus on the centre of the storm when it comes to preparing for a hurricane, it can have devastating impacts before landfall and often far away from where the most intense winds occur."