Hurricane Milton explodes into Category 5 hurricane with Florida in its sights

In a matter of hours, Hurricane Milton went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane after Hurricane Hunters measured its top sustained winds at 160 mph on Monday after starting the day as a Category 1 storm. It had been upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane late Sunday.

The rapidly intensifying cyclone is spinning in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico and drifting to the east.

The National Hurricane Center said it expects Milton to become a Category 5 hurricane by late Monday.

Before it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and strikes Florida, it should remain a Category 4 or 5 hurricane for several days, but the National Hurricane Center forecasts it to be a Category 3 storm at the time of landfall. Before reaching Florida, Milton is expected to sideswipe Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. A hurricane warning is in place there.

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Early Monday, the National Hurricane Center placed a stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast under a hurricane watch. The watch extends from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River.

Where is Hurricane Milton heading?

While a Florida landfall is almost certain, where along the Florida Gulf Coast remains in question. The National Hurricane Center said models are showing some disagreement on Milton's exact path.

"The track guidance is in good agreement that the hurricane will cross the Florida Peninsula, but there remains significant differences in both the location and timing of landfall," the National Hurricane Center said. The National Hurricane Center said.

How powerful will Milton be?

Hurricane Milton became a Category 5 hurricane on Monday, but forecasters say it might lose some of its strength before reaching the coast. The National Hurricane Center said that wind shear and dry air will cause the storm to weaken slightly from its peak intensity before making landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.

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"The system is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards along portions of the coastline," the National Hurricane Center said.

In addition to flooding rain and winds topping 100 mph, the storm surge could reach 8-12 feet in the Tampa Bay region, forecasters say. Such a storm surge would cause significant flooding in downtown Tampa.

NHC Storm Surge map