National Hurricane Center discontinues all warnings as Milton heads to sea

Milton aftermath. Photo by Phil Ammann.

The National Hurricane Center has discontinued all hurricane and tropical storm warnings related to former Hurricane Milton.

A 5 p.m. advisory shows the post-tropical system heading toward Bermuda. It should pass by that island on Friday. But despite storm-force winds extending 310 miles out from the storm center, Milton no longer poses danger to land. Storm winds have reduced to 70 mph and no central system exists.

2 p.m. Thursday

Hurricane Milton has broken down, losing hurricane and tropical storm strength.

According to a 2 p.m. advisory, the system still has sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, but is now a post-tropical cyclone. Gradual weakening is expected to continue over the next few days.

Most warnings have been lifted, but storm surge and tropical storm warnings remain north of the Flagler-Volusia county line. That’s because tropical storm winds extend 310 miles from the center of the storm system.

Milton should pass the northwestern Bahamas this afternoon.

11 a.m. Thursday

Tropic storm and storm surge warnings remain along most of Florida’s Atlantic coast as Hurricane Milton courses away from land.

The Category 1 storm still has 80 mph winds, according to an 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. With the storm now 135 miles from Cape Canaveral, all hurricane warnings in the U.S. have lifted.

But storm surge and tropical storm warnings remain in place in Florida’s east coast from Sebastian inlet north. The storm surge extends to Altamaha Sound in Georgia, including the St. Johns River, and the tropical storm warning reaches Edisto Beach in South Carolina.

The greatest storm surge threat remains north of the Flagler-Volusia county line, where communities could still see up to 8 feet of storm surge. South of there to Sebastian Inlet, and along the St. Johns, communities could see up to 4 feet of surge.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend about 310 miles from Milton’s center, according to the latest advisory.

8 a.m. Thursday

Hurricane Milton regained some strength after the eye of the storm headed out to sea.

The National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. advisory showed the center of the storm system now 75 miles from Cape Canaveral, where the storm passed through around 5 a.m. Thursday morning.

Meteorologists report the storm now has 85 mph winds, stronger than when it left shore. But forecasts predict a gradual weakening to tropical storm strength through the day.

Tropical-storm-force winds still extend 225 miles from Milton’s center, posing a continued threat to Florida’s Atlantic Coast. A weather station at Marineland still reports sustained winds there of 58 mph and gusts of up to 76 mph, while another station at Cocoa-Patrick Air Force Base still sees 46 mph sustained winds and gusts of 67 mph.

All warnings have been lifted for Gulf Coast communities. But a hurricane warning remains in effect from the Flagler-Volusia county line south to Sebastian Inlet, and tropical storm warnings remain north to Edisto Beach in South Carolina, south to the Palm Beach-Martin county line and for coastal communities around Lake Okeechobee.

Storm surge warnings remain from Sebastian Inlet north to the Altamaha Sound in Georgia, with coastal areas at risk of 3 to 5 feet of storm surge and those on the St. Johns River facing as much as 4 feet of surge.

7 a.m. Thursday

Hurricane Milton remains a Category 1 storm even as the center of the storm moved off Florida’s Atlantic coast.

A 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center shows the storm still posed a serious danger to those on the state’s eastern shores. A hurricane warning remains in effect from the St. Lucie-Martin County line to Ponte Vedra Beach. Tropical storm warnings extended south to the Broward-Palm Beach county line and north to Edisto Beach in South Carolina.

The NHC discontinued all hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings for Florida’s west coast but said storm surge remains a problem there, Storm surge warnings on the Gulf remain in effect from the middle of Longboat Key south to Bonita Beach. Surge concerns no longer threaten Tampa Bay but do impact Charlotte Harbor. All west coast areas under warning could still see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.

A surge warning also remains on the Atlantic Coast from the Sebastian Inlet north to the Altamaha Sound in Georgia. Areas there could see 3 to 5 feet of storm surge.

The NHC reported maximum sustained winds of 85 mph for the storm as of 5 a.m., when the eye of the storm had just cleared shore and sat 10 miles off of Cape Canaveral.

Wind speeds reduced to 75 mph by 7 a.m., according to a storm update. That means it remains a Category 1, down from a Category 3 when it made landfall near Siesta Key.

11 p.m. Wednesday

Hurricane Milton’s wrath is being felt in Florida as maximum sustained winds are reaching up to 105 mph and images are emerging of Tropicana Field suffering bad roof damage.

The storm is currently 75 miles from Orlando, according to the 11 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

Already on social media, reports are showing the impact in Tampa Bay.

The roof at Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, also appears to be ripped off during the storm. The stadium is where first responders set up base camp to assist hurricane victims.

A crane reportedly fell into a high-rise St. Petersburg office building.

Nobody was injured in either incident — when the crane collapsed at the 400 Central building construction site or at the Trop — according to the city.

“First responders will conduct damage assessments at both sites when conditions allow,” St. Petersburg said in a press release.

The MLB playoffs are underway, so that means it’s the offseason for the Rays.

Milton is expected to move across the state with its hurricane-force winds.

“Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles,” the advisory said.

8:30 p.m. Wednesday

Swells generated by Milton are expected to continue to affect much of the Gulf Coast and will increase along the southeastern U.S. coast during the next day or two. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, according to the National Hurricane Center. At the time, the storm maintained sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, making it a Category 3 storm

A special 8:30 p.m. advisory said the storm made landfall, meaning the surface center of the storm has crossed over the coastline. That likely means the strongest part of the storm is striking the Sarasota area now, but that doesn’t mean other areas around landfall won’t see stronger winds.

“Because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the center, it is possible for a cyclone’s strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur,” reads an explanatory page for the National Weather Service. “Similarly, it is possible for a tropical cyclone to make landfall and have its strongest winds remain over the water.”

In addition to landfall, the National Hurricane Center said a Venice weather station has recorded 78 mph sustained winds and gusts as strong as 97 mph. Similar numbers were reported from a station at the Egmont Channel.

Further north at the Skyway Fishing Pier, a station recorded sustained winds of 67 mph and gusts of 83 mph. At the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, the latest reports show 40 mph sustained winds and 73 mph gusts.

The storm now will cross the state, and is located 115 miles west of Orlando.

8 p.m. Wednesday

The eye of Hurricane Milton is now 20 miles from Sarasota, making its way to shore as a Category 3 storm.

The 8 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center shows maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, the same as three hours prior. The center of the system continues to move in an east-northeast direction at about 15 mph.

Forecasts show the storm is about to make landfall south of Tampa Bay within an hour or two, before moving across the Florida peninsula overnight.

It will emerge on Florida’s Atlantic Coast on Thursday, with models showing an exit most likely between Port Orange and Palm Bay. By 2 p.m. Thursday, the storm should be out of Florida and diminished to a tropical storm.

The central pressure for a system remains around 954 mb, a sign of significant intensity. Hurricane force winds reach 35 miles out from the center of the storm, with tropical storm-force winds measured up to 255 miles away from the eye.

Gusts of 96 mph have already been measured at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, while a weather station in Venice reports sustained winds of 71 mph and gusts as strong as 90 miles per hour. Local emergency officials warned earlier today first responders cannot use roads in sustained winds of 45 mph or greater, so anyone in the immediate area should shelter in place.

“Milton is likely to be right near the threshold of a major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida this evening,” the advisory reads.

5 p.m. Wednesday

Hurricane Milton has weakened to a Category 3 as its eye approaches landfall near Tampa Bay and Sarasota.

In a 5 p.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center reported the storm still has maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. That’s down from this morning, when it remained a Category 5 storm.

But the center of the storm now lies just 60 miles west-southwest from Sarasota. The system is continuing in a northeast direction at about 17 miles per hour, and will make landfall near or just south of Tampa Bay this evening.

South Florida now faces less risk, and NHC officials dropped hurricane watches in the Dry Tortugas and on the Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach south to Chokoloskee. On the Atlantic Coast, the watch has ended north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the St. Marys River.

“Milton could still be a major hurricane when it reaches the coast of west-central Florida this evening, and it will remain a hurricane while it moves across central Florida through Thursday. Milton is forecast to weaken over the western Atlantic and become extratropical by Thursday night,” an advisory reads.

Central pressure has risen to 948 mb. But areas around the storm’s center on the coast could still see as much as 13 feet of storm surge. Meanwhile, parts of the Central and North Florida state could see between 12 and 18 inches of rainfall from the storm through Thursday. Radar information shows most rainfall from Milton will be south of the center of the storm.

And communities have already seen tropical-storm-force winds.

“Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area across Florida this evening through Thursday morning and are possible in the hurricane watch area tonight and on Thursday,” the advisory reads.

“Tropical storm conditions are occurring along the west coast of Florida and are forecast to spread across the peninsula and reach the east coast this evening or tonight.”

2 p.m. Wednesday

Hurricane Milton continues to weaken as it nears Florida but remains a Category 4 storm.

A 2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center reports the storm has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, the low end of Category 4 storms. The center warns of life-threatening storm surge, wind damage and flood from rain on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and remain at hurricane strength while it moves across the Florida peninsula through Thursday,” the advisory reads. “Gradual weakening is forecast while Milton moves eastward over the western Atlantic, and it is likely to become an extratropical storm by early Friday.”

The storm appears to be on track to reach the Sarasota area, but a cone of uncertainty still spans from Tampa Bay to just north of Charlotte Harbor.

Hurricane-force winds extend 35 miles from the storm’s center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach 250 miles, especially to the north.

The worst storm surge is now predicted for the area from Anna Maria Island in Manatee County to Boca Grande. The area could see storm surge of up to 13 feet. Tampa Bay could see 12 feet or storm surge, as could the Boca Grande to Bonita Beach area and Charlotte Harbor. There could be 8 feet of surge from Bonita to Chokolosskee, and 5 feet between there and Flamingo, while there could be up to 4 feet of surge in the Dry Tortugas.

To the north, the Gulf Coast from the Anclote River to Aripeka could see 5 feet, and 4 feet from there to Yankeetown. On the Gulf Coast, forecasts warn of up to 5 feet of surge north of Sebastian Inlet and up to 4 feet on the St. Johns River.

11 a.m. Wednesday

The latest forecast for Hurricane Milton shows the storm tracking south of Tampa Bay but leaving a substantial portion of the Gulf Coast at risk.

An 11 a.m. advisory says tornado supercells have already started to form across South Florida. Officials also stressed that the time period when evacuation remains safe is nearing its end.

The Category 4 hurricane is expected to make landfall now late Wednesday or early Thursday. The National Hurricane Center right now reports sustained maximum winds of 145 mph, and the storm will continue to weaken as it nears shore. It sits within 190 miles of Tampa, with its storm moving northeast at about 17 miles per hour.

“The cloud canopy has become more asymmetric with dry air infiltrating the western side of the circulation, and the eye has also become cloud filled,” an advisory reads. “The NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters observed that the eye is open to the south, and a very recent dropsonde indicates that the minimum pressure is up to 931 mb.”

That remains a low-pressure storm, a sign of significant intensity.

“A slow decay in the winds is expected after landfall, but Milton is anticipated to move off the east coast of Florida on Thursday still as a hurricane,” the advisory states. “On another note, Milton is expected to begin interacting with a front later this evening, which is likely to cause the wind field to expand on the hurricane’s northwestern side. This will likely cause very strong, gusty winds to occur even to the north of where Milton makes landfall.”

All storm surge and hurricane warnings remain in effect.

The center now says hurricane-force winds span 35 miles from the storms center, foreshadowing a larger area that will feel the impacts of the storm. Tropical-storm-force winds extend 175 miles out.

8 a.m. Wednesday

An 8 a.m. advisory shows wind speeds for Hurricane Milton diminished as the storm nears Florida. The National Hurricane Center reports 155 mph winds, making Milton a strong Category 4 storm, down from a Category 5 hours ago.

The storm now sits 250 miles southwest from Tampa, with the center moving toward the state at around 16 mph. Current forecasts show the hurricane making landfall around 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. Winds will increase on shore on the Gulf Coast beginning this afternoon.

Central pressure for the system, a key determinant of hurricane intensity, remains very low at 915 mb.

A storm surge remains in effect on the Gulf Coast from Yankeetown south to Flamingo, and on the Atlantic Coast from Sebastian Inlet north to Altamaha Sound in Georgia.

Hurricane warnings stretch from the Suwannee River south to Bonita Beach, covering both Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, two water-rich coastal areas. Forecasts predict Milton will remain a hurricane after passing through Florida completely, and hurricane warnings also remain at the Atlantic Coast from the St. Lucie-Martin County line north to Ponte Vedra.

Tropical storm warnings remain through the Florida Keys, around Lake Okeechobee, from Bonita south to Flamingo and back north to the St. Lucie line in South Florida, from the Suwannee to Indian Pass in the Panhandle, and from Ponte Vedra north to the Savannah River on the Atlantic Coast.

“There is an area of heavy rain beginning to spread across portions of southwestern and west-central Florida out ahead of Milton, and weather conditions will steadily deteriorate across portions of the Florida Gulf Coast throughout the day,” the advisory reads.

5 a.m., Wednesday

With 160 mph winds, the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Milton is moving 13 mph as forecasters say it will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday before making landfall by Wednesday night or early Thursday.

The storm is currently 300 miles from Tampa and is expected to strike land as a major hurricane affecting much of the state.

“Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles,” the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. Wednesday update.

Florida’s back-to-back hurricanes have sent thousands fleeing the coast while others are hunkering down in their homes.

Some local governments ordered mandatory evacuations while some communities opened emergency shelters and gave thousands of free sandbags.

By 2 p.m., Disney World’s four theme parks will be closed Wednesday.

Hurricane Milton’s track remains mostly unchanged from the 11 p.m. update, which showed the storm moving south at an accelerated speed.

11 p.m. Tuesday

Milton is still at Category 5 strength as of the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. update. Maximum sustained wind speeds still sit at 165 mph.

As of 11 p.m., the storm is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa, with an anticipated landfall of late Wednesday, earlier than the previously predicted impact of around 1 a.m. Thursday the NHC projected at 5 p.m.

Milton is moving east-northeast at 12 mph, up from 10 mph six hours prior.

“A northeastward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected overnight through Wednesday,” NHC personnel wrote. “Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Wednesday, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida Wednesday night, and move off the east coast of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.”

The minimum central pressure of the storm as of 11 p.m. Tuesday was 915 mb, up from 987 mb Monday, when Milton clocked in as the second-lowest pressure storm ever in the Gulf behind only Hurricane Rita’s 895 in 2005. Low-pressure storms are typically stronger than higher-pressure counterparts.

A hurricane and storm surge warning is in effect for Florida’s west coast from Flamingo and Bonita Beach northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. There’s also a hurricane warning on Florida’s east coast from the St. Lucie County/Martin County line northward to Ponte Verde Beach, and a storm surge warning from Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the St. Johns River.

In Florida, there’s also a hurricane watch in effect for Dry Tortugas, Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach and Florida’s east coast north of Ponte Verde Beach to the mouth of the St. Marys River. Florida’s east coast, from the St. Lucie County/Martin County line to the Palm Beach/Martin County line is also under a hurricane watch.

5 p.m. Tuesday

Hurricane Milton has regained strength and is once again a Category 5 storm, according to the 5 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm right now is on track to land south of Tampa-St. Pete near Sarasota. That would avoid a worst-case scenario for the Tampa Bay region, which could be susceptible to catastrophic flooding in a direct hit or if the storm lands north, as its south side is expected to be more dangerous.

It would, however, bring damage to Southwest Florida, which was struck by Hurricane Ian just two years ago. The cone of uncertainty still leaves much unknown, however, and the storm has fluctuated the past few days and could do so again before landfall.

Officials advised that residents across Florida should be prepared to evacuate if ordered to do so by local governments.

The storm is now 480 miles from Tampa, moving in an east-northeast direction at a rate of 9 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds for the storm were recorded at 165 miles per hour, and Hurricane Hunter airplanes will survey the storm again and report data this evening.

A storm surge warning on Florida’s Atlantic coast now extends from Sebastian Inlet north to Altamaha Sound in Georgia. A hurricane warning on the Atlantic coast now covers all of Florida north of the St. Lucie-Martin county line. Martin County’s coast is now under hurricane watch.

“Milton is forecast to turn northeastward and begin accelerating later today as it moves between a trough digging into the Gulf of Mexico and a ridge near the Greater Antilles,” the advisory reads.

2 p.m. Tuesday

Hurricane Hunter aircraft report Hurricane Milton has rebounded in strength after hitting the Yucatan Peninsula. Wind speeds are back up to 155 miles per hour, just shy of Category 5 strength.

The National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. update has potential storm paths shifting slightly south but with the path still pointed at Tampa Bay.

The center of the storm now sits 520 miles southwest of Tampa, and it is moving toward Florida’s Gulf Coast at about 8 miles per hour, expanding in size as it moves.

“Stronger vertical shear is expected to set in about 24 hours, but even if this causes some weakening, it will not be enough to keep Milton from being an extremely dangerous hurricane when it reaches shore,” an advisory reads.

The central pressure of the storm remains around 924 mb, where it has sat since Tuesday morning. Forecasters predict landfall for the storm late Wednesday evening. That’s expected in west Central Florida but forecasters stressed any location for landfall identified by models could be off by 60 to 70 nautical miles.

“A few tornadoes are possible over central and southern Florida beginning late tonight and continuing through Wednesday night,” the advisory warns.

The latest advisory contains no changes to warnings and watches for storm surge or storm-force winds.

11 a.m. Tuesday

Hurricane Milton has started to regain speed after diminishing somewhat while brushing the Yucatan Peninsula.

The National Hurricane Center in an 11 a.m. update warned Floridians that Tuesday will be the last full day to get homes ready or for families to evacuate from the Gulf Coast.

The storm now has sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, up from 145 at 8 a.m., and currently sits 520 miles southwest of Tampa Bay. A forecast path has shifted slightly to the south, but the cone of uncertainty still includes Tampa Bay.

Forecasts show the Category 4 storm will retain its strength and expand in size as it approaches Florida. The center of the storm is moving at 9 miles per hour in an east-northeast direction.

Storm surge warnings have now been issued on Florida’s Atlantic Coast everywhere south of Cape Canaveral.

“A turn toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected to begin later today and continue through Thursday,” the advisory reads. “On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west-central coast of Florida through Wednesday. The center is likely to make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night, and move east-northeastward across central Florida through Thursday.”

Hurricane-force winds extend 30 miles from the storm’s center, with tropical-storm-force winds felt 80 miles from the eye.

8 a.m. Tuesday

Hurricane Milton is now expected to make landfall in the early Thursday hours. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center shows the storm remains a Category 4 storm as it begins a northeastern move away from the Yucatan Peninsula toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As of 8 a.m., the storm had sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, slower than when it struck the Mexican peninsula. But its central pressure, a critical element in predicting the strength of the storm, was only slightly higher, around 929 mb. The storm late Monday had reached record lows in pressure.

The storm is around 545 miles southwest of Tampa, with its center moving east-northeast toward Florida at around 12 miles per hour.

A storm surge warning on the Atlantic coast has now been issued from the Volusia-Brevard county line north to the mouth of the St. Marys River. A hurricane warning is now in effect from the St. Lucie-Indian River county line north to Ponte Vedra Beach.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm warning went into effect south of the Volusia line to Flamingo and north of Ponte Vedra, meaning the entire Atlantic coast is now under threat. The warnings are in addition to those already in effect on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the 8 a.m. advisory reads.

From the Anclote River south to Englewood, an area that includes all of Tampa Bay, storm surge could be as high as 15 feet, forecasts warn.

5 a.m. Tuesday

Hurricane Milton’s wind speeds dropped as delivered winds on the Yucatan Peninsula. But a 5 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center still shows the storm returning to major hurricane strength before it makes landfall on the Gulf Coast. Landfall is now predicted early Thursday morning.

The storm still has maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, meaning it has dropped to a Category 4 hurricane, but still a strong one. The center of the storm was 560 miles from Tampa Bay, but moving at a more swift 12 miles per hour toward the state. But landfall is predicted hours later than forecasts from Monday showed.

“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,” the advisory reads.

The central pressure is at 924 mb, an improvement from late Monday when the storm for a period was at record lows.

No changes were made in hurricane watch or warning conditions with the latest update.

A storm surge warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from Flamingo north to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. A hurricane warning is in effect across the Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay.

There is a hurricane watch for Lake Okeechobee, the Dry Tortugas, Florida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Bay, and on the state’s east coast from the line between St. Lucie and Indian River counties northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River. A tropical storm warning is in effect for all of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas, Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach, and the west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwannee River to Indian Pass.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the east coast of the Florida Peninsula south of the St. Lucie/Indian River county line southward to Flamingo, and the coast of Georgia and South Carolina from north of the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to South Santee River.

From Monday

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Hurricane Milton’s central pressure in its eye “has fallen to a near record low.”

Low-pressure storms are typically stronger than higher-pressure counterparts. Milton currently sits at a central pressure of 914 mb. That’s up from 897 mb, which made Milton the second-lowest pressure storm ever in the Gulf behind only Hurricane Rita’s 895 mb in 2005.

Milton remains a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, down from 180 mph six hours earlier, per the NHC’s 11 p.m. update.

The NHC issued no new watches or warnings in its last update Monday evening. The track remains mostly unchanged from much of the day, with the storm still heading toward landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday in the Tampa Bay area.

At 11 p.m., the storm sat about 630 miles southwest of Tampa and is moving east at about 9 mph.

11 p.m. Monday

Milton’s wind strengths have declined by 165 mph, down 15 points from six hours prior. The storm is moving at about 9 mph toward Tampa Bay, a path long feared by Florida officials as a worst-case scenario.

NHC personnel wrote, “Milton poses an extremely serious threat to Florida and residents are urged to follow the order of local officials.” Warnings and watches, as noted at 5 p.m., have spread to most of Florida.

A storm surge warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from Flamingo north to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. A hurricane warning is in effect across the Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay.

There is a hurricane watch for Lake Okeechobee, the Dry Tortugas, Florida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Bay, and on the state’s east coast from the line between St. Lucie and Indian River counties northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River. A tropical storm warning is in effect for all of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas, Lake Okeechobee, Florida’s west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach, and the west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwannee River to Indian Pass.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the east coast of the Florida Peninsula south of the St. Lucie/Indian River county line southward to Flamingo, and the coast of Georgia and South Carolina from north of the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to South Santee River.

5 p.m. Monday

Wind strengths for Milton have now reached 180 miles per hour. The storm, meanwhile, is now coursing a path at maximum strength toward Tampa Bay.

The storm remains 175 miles southwest of Tampa. The center of the storm is moving due east at 10 miles per hour, with forecasts showing it will turn more northeast on Tuesday.

Warnings and watches have been significantly extended in the state. A storm surge warning has been issued from Flamingo in South Florida to the Suwannee River in the Panhandle, covering the water bodies of Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

The area from the Anclote River to Englewood could see storm surge as high as 15 feet.

A hurricane warning extends from the mouth of the Suwannee south to Bonita Beach. A tropical storm warning now covers south of Bonita to Flamingo, as well as for the Florida Keys.

On the Atlantic Coast, there is now a storm surge watch from Sebastian Inlet north to South Carolina. A hurricane watch is now in effect from the St. Lucie-Indian River county line to the mouth of the St. Marys River. The rest of the state’s east coast south of the county line is under tropical storm watch.

2 p.m. Monday

Hurricane Milton has officially reached Category 5 status, and remains on course to strike Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening.

The latest update from the National Hurricane Center shows the storm now has 175 mph winds. That makes it the third-fastest rapidly intensifying storm on record, less than two days after it reached tropical storm force strength.

The storm remains 700 miles southwest of Tampa Bay, with the center of the storm currently moving eastward at around 9 miles per hour toward the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Forecasts show from there, the storm will reduce in intensity but move in an east-northeast direction toward Florida.

“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,” the latest advisory reads.

Hurricane-force winds extend 30 miles from the storm’s center, with tropical storm force winds recording 80 miles from the eye. The first storm winds are expected to reach Florida sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning.

All storm surge and hurricane watches and warnings from this morning remain in effect.

11 a.m. Monday

Hurricane Milton has already reached Category 4 strength, and forecasts show it inevitably will become a Category 5 storm.

The latest update from the National Hurricane Center shows the storm system remains 720 miles southwest of Tampa, and currently poses the greatest threat to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico Monday and Tuesday.

But it remains on track to approach Florida’s west coast on Wednesday, when it is expected to make landfall in the evening as a major hurricane. While forecasts for now show it will be weakened to a Category 3 storm by that point, the situation has officials throughout Florida advising extreme caution.

The National Hurricane Center just extended a hurricane warning to all communities on the shore of Lake Okeechobee. That’s the first full hurricane warning in Florida since Milton formed.

A hurricane watch, meanwhile, is in place on Florida’s Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwannee River, critically including Tampa Bay.

A storm surge watch is in effect from Flamingo in South Florida north to the Suwanee River’s mouth, while a tropical storm watch runs from Flamingo north almost to the Chokoloskee, and from north of the Suwannee River to Indian Pass. The Florida Keys are also under tropical storm warning.

Those in Tampa Bay and living anywhere on the Gulf Coast from the Anclote River south to Englewood may see between 8 and 12 feet of storm surge, based on current conditions.

North of the Anclote to Yankeetown could see 5 to 10 feet, the same forecast for south for Englewood to Bonita Beach.

Areas between Bonita Beach and the Chokoloskee could see between 4 and 7 feet, and those from the Suwannee River north to Yankeetown could see 3 to 5 feet.

Ahead of the storm, areas across the Florida peninsula and the Keys could see up to 15 inches of rain before Wednesday evening.

The storm looks to threaten many areas still recovering from Hurricane Helene.