Tornado crosses Interstate 75 in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches

A tornado has crossed Interstate 75 in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches , weather officials say.

The National Weather Service in Miami posted a photo of the funnel crossing the highway Wednesday morning on the social media platform X with the dire warning: “TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!”

The tornado formed on the ground in rural Broward west of Weston. NWS Miami issued a tornado warning for Clewiston, Montura, and Harlem until 11:00 AM EDT. The agency also issued a warning to those in southeast Hendry County to seek shelter.

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It comes as thousands were warned to evacuate as Hurricane Milton approaches the west coast of Florida. Milton is currently barreling towards Florida's west coast, threatening catastrophic damage. Tampa Bay, with a population exceeding 3.3 million, is bracing for potential havoc, having dodged direct hits from major hurricanes for over 100 years.

As of early Wednesday, Milton was roughly 360 miles southwest of Tampa, with winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters anticipate the storm maintaining its hurricane status as it traverses central Florida on Thursday, heading eastward to the Atlantic.

On Wednesday morning Governor Ron DeSantis told residents they still had time to evacuate. “The roads and the interstates, they are flowing,” he said, but added that traffic conditions could deteriorate as the day goes on Wednesday.