Hurricane Milton is pushing boundaries and breaking records. Meteorological agencies have noted that it has a very small pinhole eye. Why do experts say such a storm eye is particularly concerning?
Super Typhoon Milton, with wind speeds of 290 km/h as of the morning of October 8 (Vietnam time), is the strongest storm ever recorded to form this late in the Atlantic hurricane season. It is even forecasted to strengthen further, potentially causing heavy rain and winds, with storm surges reaching 4.5 meters in some areas.
While this storm is shattering records, meteorological agencies have observed that a very small pinhole eye has emerged.
The wind speed of the storm is not proportional to the diameter of its eye. In fact, the smaller the storm eye, the more dangerous the storm is, and meteorologists often feel great concern when they see a pinhole eye.
Hurricane Milton has a super small pinhole eye (3.8 miles or 6.1 km). (Photo: Noah Bergren).
The eye of a hurricane typically has a diameter of 32 – 64 km. An eye with a diameter of less than 16 km is referred to as a pinhole eye, according to Bay News. Pinhole eyes are usually associated with very powerful storms. Some of the most devastating storms have had pinhole eyes.
Specifically, the smaller the eye, the stronger the winds are likely to be. We can imagine a dancer spinning on stage. If the dancer spreads their arms wide, they will spin slower, but when they pull their arms close to their body, they spin faster.
Hurricane Wilma 2005 holds the record for the smallest eye, with a diameter of less than 3.2 km. Wilma also reached super storm status. (Photo: NOAA).
Meteorologist Noah Bergren in Tampa, Florida, stated that the diameter of Hurricane Milton’s eye was only 6.1 km as of the morning of October 8, which is very small, and this super typhoon is “approaching the mathematical limits of what the Earth’s atmosphere can produce over these ocean waters.” “I have no words to describe the intensity of this storm”, Bergren said.
Image of Super Typhoon Milton. This could be the strongest storm to hit Tampa, Florida, in a century. (Photo: NOAA).
According to the Independent, the Mayor of Tampa, Florida, issued a brief and stern evacuation warning to residents: “If you stay, you will lose your life.”
