NASA astronaut photos of Hurricane Milton from space, amazing but scary

Jakarta –

Hurricane Milton that hit Florida, United States, has captured the world’s attention. NASA astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) managed to capture the moment, showing a scene that was both amazing and scary.

The photo was uploaded by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominik. He said the photo was taken through the window of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that was docked at the ISS.

We can see the curve of the Earth and the vortex of Hurricane Milton above it. The scale of the storm seems very large, even able to cover most of Florida.

[Gambas:Twitter]

In addition to photos, NASA also shared a video on YouTube of how powerful Hurricane Milton was from above Earth.

“External cameras aboard the International Space Station captured new views of Category 4 Hurricane Milton at 9:37 a.m. EDT October 8 as it churned over the Gulf of Mexico, making an expected landfall near Tampa, Florida in the early morning hours of October 10th. At 8 a.m. EDT on October 8, Milton had sustained winds of 145 mph and strengthened as it moved northeast toward the west coast of Florida.” wrote NASA in the description.

Category 5 hurricanes are the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which estimates potential property damage. The cause of Hurricane Milton is still unknown, however, it is expected to cause severe storms, severe flooding, power outages and property damage.

The National Weather Service posted to X.com saying: “Milton is expected to remain a dangerous hurricane when it reaches Florida Wednesday night. This is a serious threat and Florida residents are asked to listen to local officials .”

It was previously reported that the speed of Hurricane Milton had climatologists, officials and residents worried about this great storm. More than a million people have been told to evacuate as Florida prepares for its arrival.

The intensity of Hurricane Milton surprised many people. In about a day, Milton went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of more than 160 miles per hour as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico into the heart of Florida.

Milton became one of the strongest hurricanes to ever threaten the US, even as it downgraded slightly to a Category 4 amid mass evacuations in the Tampa, Florida area.

“This is really amazing. This storm is approaching the mathematical limit of what the Earth’s atmosphere can do over sea water,” said Noah Bergren, a meteorologist based in Florida.

Scientists believe that hurricanes are becoming stronger due to climate change. In the case of Hurricane Helena, which hit Florida earlier, there were 10% more intense winds and 10% more rain due to climate change.

Named by detikINET from NBC, as Helena, Hurricane Milton ran through the warm sea. Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are much higher than normal. Warmer ocean water is the fuel for such storms, making them stronger.

(African/African)