According to the latest storm information from the US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton is exploding in strength and is a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 240 km/h and gusts stronger than on the morning of October 7, local time. The wind speed in Milton as a Category 4 storm increased to 40 km/h compared to 1 hour before.
Earlier, just a few hours in the morning of October 7, Category 1 hurricane Milton had continuously increased to Category 2, Category 3, and Category 4.
Milton is just a tropical storm with sustained winds of 96 km/h on October 6. Just 24 hours later, Milton surged to a Category 3 storm, then a Category 4 - a 2.5-fold increase in strength in just one day.
CNN's latest hurricane report says Milton is rapidly strengthening and will strengthen as it passes through the record-warming Gulf of Mexico and is likely to strengthen into a Category 5 super typhoon.
Forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center predict the storm will make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico coast in western Florida as a major hurricane by midweek.
Hurricane forecasters say Milton is likely to make landfall on or near Tampa Bay on October 9. The storm will maintain hurricane strength as it moves through central Florida into the Atlantic.
Milton's projected path will avoid other southeastern states that were devastated by Hurricane Helene last week.
Although Milton is expected to be a smaller storm than Helene, with a smaller wind field, the latest storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is heading towards a much more populated area and storm surge could have a major impact on many areas, according to CBS News senior weather expert David Parkinson.
"Milton is moving slowly but is expected to intensify rapidly," the US National Hurricane Center warned. The latest forecasts show Milton could make landfall with winds of 120 mph.
Milton rapidly intensified as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico with temperatures ranging around 29 degrees Celsius the temperature that experts described as high-quality octan fuel for any storm.
The latest advisory from the US National Hurricane Center shows Milton as peaking as a Category 4 with winds above 150 mph and a landfall intensity of Category 3.
However, people need to prepare for the possibility of a higher-level storm, meaning they should prepare for a maximum of Category 5 storm and a strong Category 4 landfall."
The latest hurricane models show Milton heading for the west coast of Florida. Mr. Parkinson said that the direction of Milton's landfall is a big concern. Instead of running parallel to the coast, Milton is approaching at a 90-degree angle.
"That means storm surge will flood the coastal area," Mr. Parkinson said, comparing it to what happened in New Jersey during Hurricane Sandy.
