Hurricane Milton tracker map shows Category 5 storm racing toward Florida --[Reported by Umva mag]

Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 5 and is projected to make landfall in Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene.

Oct 7, 2024 - 19:08

Hurricane Milton tracker map shows Category 5 storm racing toward Florida --[Reported by Umva mag]

A satellite image shows a Hurricane Milton forecast map as of Monday at 10am ET (Picture: NOAA)

Hurricane Milton in the southern Gulf of Mexico has strengthened into a Category 5 storm and is barreling toward Florida.

Milton grew into a Category 3 at 7am ET on Monday and into a Category 4 by 9am, according to the National Hurricane Center. By midday, Milton had become a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds around 160mph.

Category 5 hurricanes have winds of 175mph or greater.

Milton’s wind speed hiked up by 92mph in 24 hours, making it third in such intensification after Hurricane Felix in 2007 and Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

A Hurricane Milton weather forecast map as of Monday 8am ET shows it expected to barrel through Florida on its way to the Atlantic Ocean (Picture: NWS)

Its small size and ‘pinhole eye’ like Wilma’s contributed to its rapid growth, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

Milton is projected to make landfall in Florida’s west coast on Wednesday evening, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene wrecked havoc on the same area of the coastline.

Flood watches have been issued across the Florida Peninsula affecting up to 15million people, and 11million face the threat of tropical tornadoes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Milton could go ashore in the Tampa Bay region and ravage central Florida as a hurricane before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean.

A Hurricane Milton forecast map shows the system projected to travel at 155mph by Tuesday morning (Picture: Weather.com)

‘This is the real deal here with Milton,’ said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

‘If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.’

Tampa Bay is still recovering from Helene, which killed a dozen people just in that region.

Governor Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of clearing the debris from Helene to avoid the pieces becoming projectiles for Milton.

A resident boards up his windows in Palm Harbor, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall — A resident boards up his windows in Palm Harbor, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall (Picture: Getty Images)

‘We don’t have time for bureaucracy and red tape,’ said DeSantis.

At least one storm path tracker has Milton landfall at 8pm, and reaching the Atlantic Ocean by 8am on Thursday and continuing Friday and Saturday farther away from the US mainland.

Besides Florida, other states torn by Helene including the Carolinas and Georgia are expected to be spared by Milton.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.