TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Milton is holding steady at Category 5 strength as it approaches Florida's west coast, the National Hurricane Center said.
Milton came on the scene on Saturday as a tropical storm. Early Monday morning, Milton kicked off a rapid intensification starting as a Category 2 storm. It temporarily weakened to a Category 4 storm on Tuesday before regaining strength once again.
Florida is likely to see the most severe impacts on Wednesday night.
"While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida," the NHC said.
The Tampa Bay area has the potential to see 10 to 15 feet of storm surge, but this is highly dependent on the track. A slight shift in the landfall south of Tampa Bay would result in lower surge totals.
Hurricane Milton spaghetti models
Resembling spaghetti noodles, each line in a spaghetti model represents a computer's best guess as to where the center of the storm will go.
These models, however, do not show expected impacts on areas.
Here's the latest spaghetti model for Hurricane Milton:
Hurricane Milton cone
This "cone of uncertainty" shows an area where the center of the storm could go, when and how strong it might be at the given time. Note that impacts from a tropical system do occur away from the center and outside the cone.
Here's the latest track for Hurricane Milton:
A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within 36 hours.
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations.
A hurricane warning means sustained winds of 74 mph or higher associated with a hurricane are expected within 36 hours. A hurricane warning can remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves continue, even though winds may be less than hurricane force.
A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within 48 hours.
