Hurricane Milton strengthens to major Category 3 storm, Hurricane Watch issued for Florida Gulf Coast
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida's Gulf Coast is under a Hurricane Watch and a Storm Surge Watch as Hurricane Milton continues to gain strength, intensifying into a major Category 3 storm in the Gulf of Mexico.
As of 8 a.m. on Monday, Hurricane Milton was located at 21.8 N and 92.2 W.
It was a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and was moving east-southeast at 8 mph.
Hurricane Milton strengthened to a major Category 3 storm Monday morning and is expected to keep intensifying before encountering wind shear over the Gulf of Mexico. Landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast is expected Wednesday.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Milton is expected to rapidly intensify into a Category 4 storm by Tuesday before wind shear causes it to weaken ahead of landfall late Wednesday. It could remain a major hurricane upon landfall, which will happen on Florida's west coast.
Hurricane Milton: County-by-county guide
Watches and warnings
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Florida's Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay.
A large stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast is under a Hurricane Watch ade
A Storm Surge Watch was also issued for Florida's Gulf Coast from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.
A large stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast is under a Storm Surge Watch ahead of Milton.
Tropical Storm Watches have also been issued for Florida's Gulf Coast.
A Flood Watch is in effect for the entire Tampa Bay area, most of Central Florida and all of South Florida.
The entire Tampa Bay area is under a flood watch through Thursday morning, along with much of Central Florida and all of South Florida.
When will impacts be felt in the Bay Area?
Hurricane Milton: Mandatory evacuations begin in Tampa Bay Area
Some areas will receive heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, which FOX 13 meteorologists say is not directly related to Milton.
Rain from Milton will likely arrive on Wednesday and will continue into Thursday before the storm moves out.
Hurricane Milton is expected to significantly impact the Tampa Bay area, with several inches of widespread rain likely.
Depending on the exact path Milton takes, the heaviest rainfall is expected to be from the I-4 corridor and southward, with several inches – even up to a foot in some areas – likely over the next week.
Hurricane Milton: Bay Area schools close due to storm
As for other significant impacts, like wind and life-threatening storm surge, FOX 13 Meteorologist Dave Osterberg says the point of landfall will be critical in determining where the worst of Milton is felt.
Models are split on where exactly Hurricane Milton will make landfall, but all are in agreement that it will happen on Florida's Gulf Coast.
"While we have some answers today, we don't have others," Osterberg said. "What I can't answer is where exactly it's going to make landfall and how much it's going to weaken before it makes landfall."
FOX 13 Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto warns that even if Milton does weaken prior to landfall, it will not lessen the storm surge. The point of landfall south is where the biggest surge will occur.
Coastal portions of the Bay Area could receive 8-12 feet of storm surge, with the point of landfall south seeing the worst of the surge.
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