Hurricane Milton morphed into a Category 5 in 2 days. Take a look at the storm’s rapid evolution from space.

Here’s how it looked by Monday afternoon as a Category 5 hurricane with max winds of 180 mph. NOAA forecasters said the storm was moving erratically through the southern Gulf of Mexico.

If the storm reaches land during high tide, it could bring with it a storm surge as high as 10 to 15 feet in Tampa Bay, according to the NHC.

Hurricane season is not over

With Hurricane Milton following close behind Hurricane Helene, which landed over Florida on September 27, it may seem like this sudden uptick in storms is abnormal.

Matthew Rosencrans, the lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, said that’s not the case.

Storms forming over the Gulf are typical for the month of October, though it’s slightly abnormal to see this level of activity so early in the month since it usually happens toward the latter half, he said.

Rosencrans added that Milton is probably not the last storm we’ll see this season.

He advised people who are not being impacted now but live in hurricane-prone areas to double-check their supplies and be prepared.

“Unfortunately, the hurricane season is not over until November 30th, so I cannot say that this is the last one,” he said.