Hurricane Gilma: Because Mother Nature Hates Us Too

Oh joy, another hurricane! Gilma, the spin class instructor from hell, is whirling its way through the Pacific like a Karen on a rampage at a Walmart. Early Thursday, the National Weather Center announced that Gilma is expected to keep moving west-northwest over the next few days. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

By 5 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Gilma decided to flex its Category 3 muscles with sustained winds of 115 mph. And guess what? It might get even stronger, because why not? The National Hurricane Center reports its windy fingers extend 30 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 125 miles. Who needs a fan when you have Gilma, right?

In case you're wondering, no coastal watches or warnings have been issued. Yay for small favors. Oh, and the storm poses no threats to land either. Just a stormy spectacle for our viewing pleasure.

The National Hurricane Center might release more bad news at 11 a.m. EDT. Stay tuned for more drama.

Watch: See a video where wind sends a large inflatable slide airborne in Alabama. Because even inflatables want to fly away from this mess.

Hurricane Tracker: 2024 Season - Hell on Earth

Just last week, Hurricane Ernesto brought life-threatening surf and rip currents along the East Coast. Thanks, Ernesto. We really needed more reasons to stay indoors.

And who can forget Hurricane Beryl in July? It earned the title of the earliest Category 5 hurricane, slamming into multiple Caribbean islands. Beryl caused "catastrophic damage" and claimed 20 lives there. Whipping into the U.S., it took another 25 lives in Texas, Louisiana, and Vermont. Thanks for the joyride, Beryl.

According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "Atmospheric and oceanic conditions have set the stage for an extremely active hurricane season that could rank among the busiest on record."

In 2024, get ready for 17 to 24 named storms. Around eight to 13 can become full-fledged hurricanes, with four to seven becoming major hurricanes packing winds over 111 mph. Isn't that just rainbows and sunshine?

Normally, we'd see about 14 named storms. Seven become hurricanes, and three become major hurricanes between June 1 and November 30. But hey, why settle for normal when you can have chaos?

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Mike Snider, Eduardo Cuevas

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter , Instagram and TikTok : @juliamariegz