Viral

Florida meteorologist gets emotional delivering forecast for 'horrific' Hurricane Milton

Florida meteorologist gets emotional delivering forecast for 'horrific' Hurricane Milton
Watch: Meteorologist fights back tears as he gives updates on ‘life threatening’ …
NBC News

A Florida meteorologist became emotional delivering the “horrific” forecast of Hurricane Milton that is heading for the American state.

Just weeks after battling Category 4 Hurricane Helene, Floridians are once again preparing to face another devastating hurricane, and this time it is a Category 5 storm – the most powerful there is.

Hurricane Milton has “exploded” in intensity and is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area of Florida by Wednesday (9 October).

Meteorologist John Morales became visibly and audibly emotional as he spoke about the “horrific” storm and its forecast.

“It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped... It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours,” Morales fought to get his words out as his emotions threatened to take over.

“I apologise, this is just horrific. Maximum sustained winds are 160 miles per hour and, um, it is just gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Morales explained the seas in the Gulf of Mexico are “incredibly hot” due to global warming, and it is these temperatures that are feeding the storms which are becoming an “increasing threat” to residents in Mexico and the US.

Morales explained: “You know what's driving that, I don’t need to tell you: global warming, climate change leading to this and becoming an increasing threat for the Yucatan [in Mexico].”

He added: “Many folks in that area have just the very basics... It’s going to be very tough.”

The hurricane is expected to drop slightly in intensity as it heads eastward, but Morales warned it will still feel like “a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida”.

Morales shared the clip on X/Twitter and urged his followers: “Frankly, YOU should be shaken too, and demand #ClimateActionNow.”

Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

The Conversation (0)