(NEXSTAR) – Hurricane Milton intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale over the course of several hours on Monday morning as it progressed toward Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It was also expected to bring heavy rainfall and storm surges to parts of Florida before weakening and making landfall.

People living in the Gulf area’s most frequent hurricane paths, meanwhile, are no stranger to storms. But the rapid intensification of these storms? That might be relatively new.

Rapid intensification is defined by the National Hurricane Center as an increase of at least 30 knots (about 35 mph) in maximum sustained winds within a 24-hour period, which can mean a jump of two categories on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

As it currently stands,........

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