Milton becomes a hurricane and will strengthen until it hits Florida on Wednesday

 Tropical Storm Milton became a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday after its winds intensified to 129 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

It is currently located about 810 miles (1,312 km) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida , and could make landfall as early as Wednesday as a potentially destructive Category 3 hurricane.

According to the latest NHC report, Milton is forecast to intensify rapidly as it moves east-northeast across the Gulf of Mexico at 9 kilometers per hour (5 mph) and will become a major hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) when it reaches the west coast of the Florida Peninsula midweek.

Still, there remains “significant uncertainty in the final trajectory and intensity of Milton” and “it is too early to specify the exact magnitude and location of the largest impacts,” the center noted.

There is currently an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday.

Emergency in Florida

On Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis increased to 51 the number of counties in a state of emergency included in the executive order he signed on Saturday and warned the population to take the cyclone seriously.

“Anyone on the west coast of Florida has the potential to suffer significant impacts,” the governor warned during a press conference on Sunday, in which the director of the state emergency management agency, Kevin Guthrie, warned of the possibility of “the largest evacuation” since Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The Hillsborough School District, home to Tampa, which is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Helene, announced Sunday that local schools will close between Monday and Wednesday to be used as shelters.

“Given the recent impact of Helene , many in our community are still recovering and may find it unsafe to remain in their homes,” county school officials said in a post on social media.

While counties in the southeast such as Miami-Dade and Broward are currently outside the cone of possible hurricane trajectory, the city of Miami will begin distributing sandbags starting Monday, the city hall announced.

Milton’s impact on Florida

Milton could bring rainfall accumulations of up to 380 millimeters (15 inches) to parts of Florida from Sunday through Wednesday night, posing a risk of flash flooding and “moderate to significant river flooding,” according to the NHC.

The Mexican coastal strip between Celestum and Cabo Catoche on the Yucatan Peninsula is under a tropical storm warning and could experience the first winds from Milton beginning Monday night.

The hurricane will land on US soil after Helene , which entered northwestern Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, left a trail of devastation of more than 800 kilometres across states in the southeastern United States, with particular intensity in North Carolina.

It also left more than 230 dead and dozens missing, making it the deadliest hurricane in the US since Katrina in 2005. EFE