This isn't a huge surprise, given that Milton traveled across the same exceptionally warm Gulf of Mexico that Helene had recently transited. But the analysis does produce one striking result: Milton would have been a Category 2 storm at landfall if climate change weren't boosting its strength.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, Florida the National Hurricane Center said.  Milton was a Category 5 hurricane late Tuesday but was downgraded to a Category 3 Wednesday afternoon after spending most of the day as a Category 4.