Unusually Warm Atlantic Ocean Is Supercharging Hurricane Idalia
Temperatures along the storm’s predicted track are close to 90F (32C), a prime setup for what’s known as rapid intensification.
Hurricane Idalia, now a Category 1 storm, is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The hurricane’s likely transformation between now and then will be due in part to the unusually warm waters on its path.
As of 11 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Idalia had winds of 85 miles (137 kilometers) per hour and was churning northeast, just past the tip of Cuba. Between it and Florida sit 200 miles of uninterrupted sizzling ocean. Water temperatures along the storm’s predicted track are close to 90F (32C), reflecting record ocean warmth — a hallmark of climate change — in the Gulf of Mexico. The water isn’t just hot on the surface; the heat extends more than 100 feet below.