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FLORIDA - Forecasters say Hurricane Milton has the potential to become one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.
LATEST NEWS ON HURRICANE MILTON: LOCATION l PATH l WARNINGS
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On Monday, Milton strengthened into a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph. As of early Tuesday morning, Milton had slightly weakened to Category 4 but is forecast to restrengthen and grow in size.
Millions of residents continue to prepare for life-threatening impacts and evacuate the coast and other low-lying areas ahead of the monster storm’s arrival.
The rainfall forecast for Florida. (FOX Weather)
Here's everything you need to know about Hurricane Milton, including its location, projected path and watches/warnings in effect.
Track of Hurricane Milton: What's the latest with the storm?
Hurricane Milton is located about 560 miles southwest of Tampa and has maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Current info on Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Milton is moving off to the east-northeast at 12 mph.
Path of Hurricane Milton 2024: What's the forecast?
The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Milton should make a turn to the east and then northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday.
When will Hurricane Milton make landfall?
On that forecast track, Hurricane Milton is expected to move near or just north of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday.
The forecast cone for Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Milton continues to be a monster storm and near record-breaking hurricane. According to the FOX Forecast Center, the hurricane has the second-lowest pressure on record in the Gulf of Mexico and the lowest pressure in the Atlantic since 2005.
Spaghetti forecast models for Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
At 180 mph, Milton is the strongest Atlantic hurricane in 5 years since Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Milton is also tied for the fourth-strongest storm since record keeping began. Hurricane Allen with 190 mph winds holds the record for the strongest Atlantic hurricane.
Is Hurricane Milton going to hit Orlando?
The first alerts were posted along Florida’s Gulf Coast early Monday morning, and those have since expanded to include more areas of Central Florida, including the Orlando area.
This graphic shows the storm surge forecast in Florida due to Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
As Hurricane Milton approached, Storm Surge Warnings were issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Flamingo to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.
Where are watches and warnings in effect?
The current storm surge forecast for Tampa Bay is up to 15 feet if the peak surge coincides with high tide. This is notably higher than during Helene, when Tampa Bay saw 7-8 feet of storm surge.
This graphic shows storm surge alerts in Florida due to Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Charlotte Harbor is expected to see a storm surge of 6-10 feet, while Bonita Beach could see a surge of 4-7 feet.
A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the west coast of Florida south of Bonita Beach to Flamingo, including Lake Okeechobee, and north of the mouth of the Suwannee River northward and westward to Indian Pass.
This graphic shows the various tropical alerts in effect in Florida due to Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
A Tropical Storm Warning has also been issued for all of the Florida Keys, including the Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay. A Storm Surge Watch has been issued for the U.S. east coast from Sebastian Inlet Florida to Edisto Beach South Carolina, including the St. Johns River.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued along the east coast of the Florida Peninsula from the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River.
This graphic shows the storm surge forecast from Hurricane Milton in Florida. (FOX Weather)
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued along the east coast of the Florida Peninsula south of the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line southward to Flamingo.
A Tropical Storm Watch has also been issued along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina from north of the mouth of the St. Marys River to South Santee River, South Carolina.
When to prepare for Milton
The situation is becoming more dire in Florida, with state and local officials warning residents that the time to prepare for the life-threatening storm is running out.
Tracking potential impacts from Milton. (FOX Weather)
They say people near the coast or living in low-lying areas need to get out before the storm approaches and brings with it a potentially deadly storm surge that could reach up to 15 feet in some spots, including Tampa Bay.
Hurricane categories
What is a Category 1 hurricane?
A hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 74-95 mph is considered to be a Category 1 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
A Category 1 storm is the weakest of all hurricanes but is stronger than a tropical storm.
What is a Category 2 hurricane?
A hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 96-110 mph is considered to be a Category 2 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
A Category 2 storm is stronger than a Category 1 and is just one status below what is considered to be a major hurricane.
What is a Category 3 hurricane?
A hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 111-129 mph is considered to be a Category 3 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
Once a hurricane strengthens into a Category 3 storm, it is considered to be a major hurricane.
What is a Category 4 hurricane?
A hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130-156 mph is considered to be a Category 4 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
A Category 4 cyclone is considered to be a major hurricane and is only one class below a Category 5.
What is a Category 5 hurricane?
A hurricane with maximum sustained winds of at least 157 mph is considered to be a Category 5 cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
A Category 5 is the strongest a hurricane can get on the scale, as there is not a Category 6 rating.
When does hurricane season end?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November. August, September and October are considered to be the peak months, with more than 85% of tropical systems forming during the three-month period.
FOX Weather helped contribute to this report.