Hurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record as it went from barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm in less than a day on a path across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. In an article in The Conversation, Senior Academic Professional Zachary Handlos and Assistant Professor Ali Sarhadi, both in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, discuss their research on hurricane behavior, rapid intensification, and what causes rapid intensification. Rapid intensification is defined by the National Weather Service as an increase in a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speed of at least 30 knots – about 35 mph within a 24-hour period.