Meteorologists took a bumpy flight into Hurricane Milton Tuesday, showing the chaos of the massive storm as it churns toward Florida.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regularly send aircraft missions into hurricanes to collect data.
Click here for the latest forecast and models for Hurricane Milton.
The organization sent their WP-3D Orion four-engine turboprop aircraft, dubbed "Miss Piggy," into Hurricane Milton, an incredibly bumpy ride that shows the power and strength of the storm.
The aircraft probes every wind and pressure change of a storm. Their instruments continuously transmit measurements of pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind direction and speed as they fall toward the sea, providing a detailed look at the structure of the storm and its intensity.
Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.
