Milton is likely to become a major hurricane before hitting Florida on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Topline
Tropical Storm Milton strengthened into Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and is expected to become a major hurricane before it makes landfall on the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday, possibly hitting Tampa Bay—less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene moved through Florida and caused devastating flooding across parts of the southeastern U.S.Key Facts
Milton is “rapidly intensifying” as it moves northeast across the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center, which predicted the storm will become a major hurricane by Monday and warned “there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts” in Florida beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Milton is forecast to become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph before hitting Florida; tropical storms are classified as hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph and major hurricanes when winds exceed 110 mph.
