NHC reported that the storm increased to a Category 5 hurricane on Tuesday, but it is expected to weaken to a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall somewhere along Florida's Central Gulf Coast.
Floridians are being advised by officials to listen to warnings and remain vigilant.
What we do know so far about the storm is as follows:
Strength of a storm:
At 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Milton became a Category 5 hurricane for the first time, and it remained that way until 2 a.m. on Tuesday. According to the most recent NHC update, it became a rare Category 5 hurricane once more on Tuesday afternoon.
Milton's pressure has been decreasing, and the winds have been getting stronger, according to Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters. One indication of a very powerful storm is that the eye has cleared significantly on satellite.
Over the next 36 hours, the storm's strength is expected to fluctuate. It will weaken slightly but double in size, meaning that its devastating effects will be felt over a much larger area.
Where and when to expect a storm:
According to the NHC's 6 p.m. ET update, Milton is 480 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with sustained winds of 165 mph and moving 9 mph east-northeast.
In an earlier NHC notice, the storm's landfall time was slowed down a little and is now anticipated late Wednesday night into early Thursday.
The tropical storm-force winds of Milton will extend about 230 miles from its center when it makes landfall. That is sufficient to cover the entire Peninsula of the state.
People are being urged by forecasters to keep their guard up and be ready for crucial, possible last-minute shifts in the storm's path.
Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Orlando will see between 2 and 12 inches of rain, strong winds, and a storm surge.
As early as this evening, Milton's outer bands could begin making an impact with embedded tornadoes and waterspouts on the Florida Peninsula and the Keys.
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