Hurricane Milton even stronger in latest update, with winds reaching 180 mph

Hurricane Milton is now a Category 5 major hurricane and wind speeds are a staggering 180 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest update .

New data from the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft show that Hurricane Milton is barreling toward Florida's Gulf Coast with maximum wind speeds around 180 mph. Minimum pressure has fallen to 905 mb.

Like Hurricane Helene, Milton didn’t give residents much time to prepare for what will be an extreme storm bringing a variety of life-threatening dangers to anyone living along Florida’s southern Gulf Coast .

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall around Wednesday evening.

AccuWeather forecasters are warning people not to focus solely on the storm’s center as it expects to have far-reaching impacts beyond where it makes landfall .

Here’s what to know about Hurricane Milton.

Where is Hurricane Milton now?

Hurricane Milton's mind numbing intensity exploded again, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. update. Wind speeds are now around 180 mph, a massive 45 mph increase from Monday morning.

Hurricane Milton is now about 80 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 675 miles southwest of Tampa. It's moving eastward at 10 mph.

Hurricane Milton 5 p.m. update

Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. update. Wind speeds are now around 180 mph, a massive 40 mph increase from Monday morning.

Hurricane Milton is expected to move eastward to east-southeastward through tonight. That trajectory will be followed by a turn toward the east and northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Milton is forecast to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula today and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday.

When will Hurricane Milton make landfall?

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall around Florida's southern Gulf Coast late Wednesday afternoon or early Wednesday evening. Where Milton will make landfall is a little up in the air.

Hurricane watches are already in place for areas that could see a potential landfall. The large swath of land stretches the Florida Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay and the Dry Tortugas.

How strong will Hurricane Milton be when it makes landfall?

The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Milton's intensity to fluctuate as it makes its way to Florida. All signs point to Hurricane Milton being an extremely dangerous storm through landfall. Whether it will maintain its Category 5 status remains to be seen.

Hurricane Milton spaghetti models

Special note about spaghetti models: Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

Storm tracker: Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton weather alerts, watches, warnings and mandatory evacuations

Evacuations are already underway in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches.

• Sarasota County, levels A and B, manufactured communities and mobile and boat homes. Here's a list of Sarasota County hurricane evacuation centers .
• Pasco County, on the north side of the Tampa Bay area, beginning at 10 a.m. for zones A and B. The order also applies to anyone living in manufactured housing or an RV, as well as those low-lying or flood-prone areas. Voluntary evacuations will also go in effect for evacuation Zone C. Here is a list of Pasco County hurricane evacuation centers .
• Manatee County, evacuations ​start at noon today on Anna Maria Island, in Manatee County on the south side of Tampa Bay, as well as other areas of the county in zone A and those in mobile homes. A special needs shelter will also be opening for those who have pre-registered. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so at mymanatee.org/needs .
• City of Fort Myers Beach
• Pinellas ​County has issued a voluntary evacuation for anyone in zones A, B and C and mobile homes, ahead of what is expected to become a mandatory order.
• Hillsborough County has ordered evacuations for areas adjacent to Tampa Bay and for all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday night. You can find a list of Hillsborough County hurricane shelters here .

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Hurricane Milton even stronger in latest update, with winds reaching 180 mph