Maps show forecast path of Hurricane Milton toward Florida

Hurricane Milton strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm Monday, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, on a track forecast to hit Florida's Gulf Coast mid-week. Forecasters predict Milton will make landfall around the Tampa Bay area by Wednesday or early Thursday, drenching a large part of a state still reeling from Hurricane Helene .

Major hurricanes are those that reach Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale , meaning sustained wind speeds are at least 111 mph. Sustained winds of 130 mph elevate a storm to Category 4, and 157 mph means a Category 5.

As of 8 a.m. Eastern on Monday, Milton was centered about 165 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 745 miles west-southwest of Tampa.

Path of Hurricane Milton

A map from the National Hurricane Center shows Milton continuing to strengthen as a major hurricane as it approaches Florida's west coast.

"Milton is forecast to intensify rapidly," the hurricane center said early Monday, noting that additional strengthening was forecast throughout the day.

The storm is expected to remain north of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, with heavy rainfall expected as Milton makes its way northeast toward Florida. The Mexican government issued a hurricane warning from Celestun to Rio Lagartos, a hurricane watch from Celestun to Cabo Catoche, and a tropical storm warning from east of Cabo Catoche to Cancun.

The National Weather Service said early Monday morning that a hurricane watch was in effect for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Chokoloskee north to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay and the Dry Tortugas.

A storm surge watch was issued for the Florida Gulf Coast from Flamingo north to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Storm surge in the Tampa Bay area could reach up to 12 feet above ground level.

Far more rain — up to 15 inches in some localized areas — was forecast to fall on parts of western Florida later in the week as the storm makes landfall.

Florida officials prepare for more impact

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remained to be seen just where Milton would strike, it was clear that Florida would be hit hard.

"I don't think there's any scenario where we don't have major impacts at this point," he said.

"You have time to prepare — all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place," DeSantis said. "If you're on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you'll be asked to leave."

DeSantis expanded a state of emergency declaration on Sunday to 51 counties and said Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions, making sure they have a week's worth of food and water and were ready to hit the road.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, coordinated with the governor and briefed President Biden Sunday on how it has staged lifesaving resources ahead of the storm.

"I highly encourage you to evacuate" if you're in an evacuation zone, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. "We are preparing ... for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma. "

As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews to remove debris, DeSantis said.

"All available state assets ... are being marshaled to help remove debris," DeSantis said. "We're going 24-7 ... it's all hands on deck."