NBC6 Hurricane Specialist John Morales realized that Milton had become a Category 5 monster storm on Monday just before he went on air at noon.
He paused for a moment, visibly emotional, and his voice shook as he expressed his disbelief.
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"It's just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped," he stopped. "It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours. I apologize. This is just horrific."
Morales went on: "Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph. And it is just gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico where the winds -- I mean, the seas, are just so, incredibly, incredibly hot. Record hot, as you might imagine. You know what's driving that. I don't need to tell you: global warming, climate change [are] leading to this and becoming an increasing threat for the Yucatan, including Merida and Progreso and other areas there."
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Morales later commented on his overwhelm on X, saying "extreme weather driven by global warming has changed me. Frankly, YOU should be shaken too, and demand #ClimateActionNow."
I debated whether to share this. I did apologize on the air. But I invite you to read my introspection on @BulletinAtomic of how extreme weather 📈 driven by global warming has changed me. Frankly, YOU should be shaken too, and demand #ClimateActionNow. https://t.co/09vxgabSmX https://t.co/GzQbDglsBG
— John Morales (@JohnMoralesTV) October 7, 2024
