As many expected, Milton has rapidly intensified into a major Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 160 mph, says the National Hurricane Center.
According to an 11 a.m. advisory from the NHC, the storm is still barreling towards Tampa Bay, moving moving east-southeast at about nine mph, roughly 715 miles southwest of us. Forecasters do believe the storm will enter some unfavorable wind sheer and dry air over the next 36 hours, which could help weaken the system.
"However, the system is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in
Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland," said the NHC.
As of now, the exact path is still unclear, but Tampa Bay is in the middle of the cone of uncertainty. Unless conditions change, Milton is expected to make landfall sometime Wednesday, with portions of the storm impacting the area starting Tuesday.
All of Tampa Bay is currently under a Hurricane Watch and a Storm Surge Watch, with a projected 8-12 feet of surge in some areas.
It's also becoming increasingly likely that thousands of residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas will be ordered to evacuate later today. Hillsborough has already ordered mandatory evacs for Zones A and B and anyone living in a mobile home. And, Pinellas has issued mandatory evacs for A, B and C for anyone with special needs or electrical dependence.
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According to an 11 a.m. advisory from the NHC, the storm is still barreling towards Tampa Bay, moving moving east-southeast at about nine mph, roughly 715 miles southwest of us. Forecasters do believe the storm will enter some unfavorable wind sheer and dry air over the next 36 hours, which could help weaken the system.
"However, the system is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in
Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland," said the NHC.
As of now, the exact path is still unclear, but Tampa Bay is in the middle of the cone of uncertainty. Unless conditions change, Milton is expected to make landfall sometime Wednesday, with portions of the storm impacting the area starting Tuesday.
All of Tampa Bay is currently under a Hurricane Watch and a Storm Surge Watch, with a projected 8-12 feet of surge in some areas.
It's also becoming increasingly likely that thousands of residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas will be ordered to evacuate later today. Hillsborough has already ordered mandatory evacs for Zones A and B and anyone living in a mobile home. And, Pinellas has issued mandatory evacs for A, B and C for anyone with special needs or electrical dependence.
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Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
