When and where will Hurricane Milton make landfall? Here's what we know so far
For the latest news on Hurricane Milton, visit USA TODAY's hurricane tracker for Thursday, Oct. 10.
Hurricane Milton is forecast to retain major hurricane status and expand in size as it approaches the west coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.
Milton was located about 520 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, as of Tuesday morning, with a turn toward the northeast and an increase in forward speed expected to begin later Tuesday and continue through Thursday, the hurricane center said.
Milton had sustained winds near 150 mph as of Tuesday morning, and while fluctuations in intensity are expected, the storm is forecast to remain an "extremely dangerous" hurricane through landfall in Florida, the NHC said. Milton is forecast to move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west-central coast of Florida through Wednesday.
"Today is the last full day for Florida residents to get their families and homes ready and evacuate if told to do so by local officials," the NHC said in the Hurricane Milton advisory at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Live weather updates: 'Time is running out': Florida braces for monster Hurricane Milton
Graphics: Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4 storm, will hit Florida midweek
When and where will Hurricane Milton make landfall?
According to the latest advisory from the hurricane center, Milton is "likely to make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night, and move east-northeastward across central Florida through Thursday."
At 36 to 48 hours away from landfall, the hurricane center’s official track forecast can still be off by 70-80 miles, Robbie Berg, one of the center’s hurricane specialists wrote in a forecast Tuesday morning. That means the center “can’t pinpoint an exact landfall location, especially if the hurricane wobbles as it approaches the coast.”
A storm surge warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay, and also for the east coast of Florida from Port Canaveral northward to the mouth of the St. Mary's River, including the St. John's River, according to the NHC.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay, and also for the state's east coast from the Indian River/St. Lucie County line northward to Ponte Verda Beach.
For a full list of the watches and warnings in effect for Florida, you can visit the hurricane center's website.
Hurricane Milton tracker
Hurricane Milton spaghetti models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does Hurricane Milton make landfall? Latest on storm forecast