Milton is likely to hit Florida on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Topline
Hurricane Milton intensified into a Category 4 Hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico early Monday as it barreled toward the Florida Gulf coast, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene left devastating flooding across parts of the southeastern U.S.Key Facts
According to the National Hurricane Center, Milton had maximum sustained wind speeds of 150 mph as of 9 a.m. EDT, qualifying it as a Category 4.
The NHC’s earlier forecasts suggested Milton would make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of around 120 mph on Wednesday.
The storm was about 730 miles west-southwest of Tampa as of Monday morning.
Hurricane watches are in effect for parts of Mexico as well as the Florida Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee, about 90 miles south of Fort Meyers, to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay.
Tropical storm warnings cover much of the same area in Florida, with the addition of the Florida Keys, and a storm surge warning is in effect near Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.
The storm is expected to bring 5 to 10 inches of rain, with localized totals up to 15 inches, across parts of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys through Wednesday night, which could cause «considerable flash, urban, and areal flooding», according to the NHC.
