Hurricane Milton Threatens Florida as Category 4 Storm

Tornadic supercells have started forming in Florida's southern peninsula as Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4, approaches landfall tonight, posing an "extremely life-threatening" situation.

Earlier this week, Milton intensified to a Category 5, with some speculation it could reach an unprecedented Category 6. However, it has since weakened to a Category 4.

Regardless of the downgrade, forecasters caution of widespread impacts, including:

• Life-threatening storm surges exceeding 15 feet
• Heavy rainfall of over 12 inches
• Sustained winds up to 90 mph

This follows Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southeastern U.S. less than two weeks ago, causing over 200 deaths in the Appalachians. Meanwhile, another disturbance may develop into Tropical Storm Nadine later today.

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Landfall Timing and Location

Landfall is anticipated late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Florida is already experiencing storm effects.

Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall around Manatee County/Sarasota County on central Florida's west coast, with a margin of 50 miles north or south.

"We're telling people not to focus on the exact center... The eye is going to be getting larger, and the wind field is going to be expanding," said Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa.

Storm Tracking and Models

• Track path: Hurricane Milton landfall
• See spaghetti models: Hurricane Milton

Note: Not all spaghetti model illustrations are equally reliable. The Hurricane Center uses only the top performing models for forecasts.

Atlantic Storm Updates

Currently, four storms are developing in the Atlantic:

• Hurricane Milton: Tornadic supercells are sweeping across the southern Florida peninsula. Life-threatening storm surges are expected, with landfall near Tampa Bay or Sarasota.
• Hurricane Leslie: Strengthening over the central Atlantic but expected to dissipate early next week, posing no hazard to land.
• Disturbance 1: Likely to become Tropical Storm Nadine today but expected to move northeast away from land. Formation chance: 40% (48 hours), 40% (seven days).
• Disturbance 2: A tropical wave moving off the west coast of Africa, with limited development chances as it traverses the eastern tropical Atlantic.