Hurricane Milton Intensifies to Category 4 Storm

Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 storm early Monday with sustained winds of 150 mph, as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 8:05 a.m. The hurricane is moving through the Gulf of Mexico and is projected to make a potentially devastating landfall along Florida's storm-battered western coast.

The NHC has issued hurricane watches for parts of Florida, cautioning that life-threatening storm surges, heavy rainfall, and destructive winds could impact certain regions.

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Current Location of Hurricane Milton

According to the NHC's 8:05 a.m. weather advisory on Monday:

• Location: 150 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico
• Maximum sustained winds: 150 mph
• Present movement: East-southeast at 8 mph

Projected Landfall in Florida

On the forecast track, Milton is expected to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday, as reported by the NHC.

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— USA TODAY contributed to this report. The story was updated to correct a typo.