Hurricane Milton strengthens and threatens to impact Florida

• Hurricane Milton strengthens and threatens to hit Florida
• EFE reports on this alert.
• Here are the details.

Tropical Storm Milton has intensified into a Category 1 hurricane this Sunday, with sustained winds reaching up to 129 km/h, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm is currently located 1,312 kilometers west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and could make landfall on the U.S. coast by Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with significant destructive potential.

The NHC has forecasted rapid strengthening of Milton as it moves northeast, crossing the Gulf of Mexico at 9 km/h.

By midweek, it is expected to become a major hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) as it hits Florida’s west coast.

Hurricane Milton strengthens and threatens to hit Florida

#BREAKING: The National Hurricane Center has announced that Milton has officially strengthened to a Category 1 Hurricane prompting much of Florida to be placed under a state of emergency

#Florida | #USA

The National Hurricane Center has announced that Milton has officially… pic.twitter.com/pLNI26Rzpn

— RAWSALERTS (@rawsalerts) October 6, 2024

Despite projections, the exact path and final intensity of Milton remain uncertain.

Authorities warn that it is too early to accurately assess the scale of the damage, though an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surges and destructive winds is anticipated in the Florida peninsula starting Tuesday night.

The torrential rains associated with the hurricane could bring accumulations of up to 380 millimeters, raising the risk of major flash floods and river floods in the region.

In light of this threat, the NHC urges residents of the peninsula to follow local authorities’ recommendations and stay alert to weather updates.

The storm comes just days after Hurricane Helene

#Milton has officially become a hurricane and may be already rapidly intensifying.

We are staring down the 2nd major hurricane landfall and billion-dollar disaster in Florida in just the last 2 weeks. Prepare now! pic.twitter.com/TgpYBcJG0W

— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) October 6, 2024

Additionally, the coastal strip of Mexico, between Celestum and Cabo Catoche in the Yucatán Peninsula, is under a tropical storm warning.

Milton could bring strong winds to that region starting Monday night.

This storm comes just days after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene, which struck northwest Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving more than 230 dead and dozens missing in its path of destruction, which spanned 800 kilometers across the southeastern United States.

Milton, now strengthening, is expected to worsen conditions in the region, especially in Florida, a state still recovering from the devastation caused by Helene.

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