Hurricane Milton rapidly upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Monday, posing a threat to areas of the Florida Peninsula that are still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
The hurricane intensified quickly on Monday morning, escalating from a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds around 120 mph earlier in the day to a Category 5 system with sustained winds nearing 160 mph by midday.
The National Hurricane Center confirmed that the storm had reached increased winds of 175 mph.
Although Milton is expected to weaken before making landfall on the Florida coast later this week, it is still anticipated to be a “large and powerful” hurricane upon arrival, according to the National Hurricane Center’s update on Monday.
Milton is projected to move near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico to approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday.
