Hurricane Milton is rapidly strengthening and is on track to become a major hurricane heading towards the Tampa Bay area, warning the state of Florida to evacuate along the unresolved coast after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
Although forecast models vary, the most likely path shows Milton could make landfall on October 9 in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves through central Florida into the Atlantic, forecasters told AP.
The forecast for the latest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season to make landfall shows Milton largely avoiding other southeastern states that have just been devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said it is clear that Florida will be hit hard by Milton. "I don't think there is any scenario where we don't have to deal with a big impact at the moment," he said.
The latest hurricane report from the US National Hurricane Center said Milton was centered about 1,310 km west-southwest of Tampa on the afternoon of October 6, with maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h.
"With Milton strengthening into a hurricane, it is the first time the Atlantic Ocean has had three hurricanes at the same time since September, including Hurricane Kirk and Hurricane Leslie," said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. Previously, there were 4 typhoons at the same time in August and September.
According to Fox News' hurricane report, Milton is expected to continue to rapidly strengthen, reaching the intensity of a Category 4 hurricane on October 8, then weaken slightly before making landfall in Florida on October 9. However, forecasters warn that Milton is still likely to hit Florida as a major hurricane (Class 3 or higher).
A major storm is defined as a Category 3 or higher hurricane with maximum sustained winds of at least 180 km/h. The latest forecast on October 6 shows Milton making landfall with winds of 195 km/h.
Before Hurricane Mitlon, the Atlantic hurricane season had three Category 4 or stronger storms, including Hurricane Kirk, Hurricane Helene and Superstorm Beryl.
Millions of people across the Florida peninsula are on alert as Milton rapidly strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico and moves into the state.
If Milton makes landfall in Florida, it would be the third storm to make landfall in Florida during the 2024 hurricane season after Hurricane Debby in August and Helene in September.
The situation is changing rapidly, with forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center first identifying Milton as Tropical Depression 14 on the morning of October 5.
A few hours later, the center issued a special warning announcing the development of Tropical Storm Milton. About 24 hours later, in the early afternoon of October 6, Milton strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane.
