The International Space Station snapped photos of Hurricane Florence that make the hurricane look more like a cotton ball than a Category 2 hurricane.
Currently, the storm has maximum sustained winds around 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, and is roughly 1,100 miles east-southeast of Bermuda. The storm is moving northwest at roughly 10 mph.
While that cotton-like appearance may look non-threatening, it’s actually dangerous. Storms with colder cloud tops are often more powerful and produce greater rainfall, Space.com reports.
#HurricaneFlorence strengthens in the early morning hours over the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/IEdn1VQk9k
— Ricky Arnold (@astro_ricky) September 6, 2018
Florence was upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Tuesday. It’s the third hurricane of the season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
Hurricane Florence is expected to gain strength over the weekend and is currently on track to hit the Carolinas. Given its current course, it’s not expected to make landfall for at least a week. It could also weaken or change course over the next week, missing the U.S. altogether.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects there to be between nine and 13 storms before the end of the season.
