The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Monday that Cyclone Milton has reached Category 5 status, with maximum sustained winds of 250 km/h (160 mph) and even stronger gusts, as it heads toward the state of Florida.
The monitoring center reported on the social media platform X that, according to data from the hurricane hunter aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (@53rdWRS), the recent intensification of Hurricane Milton has been confirmed by accurate measurements.
Currently, Hurricane Milton is located 190 kilometers west-northwest of Celestún and 240 kilometers west of Progreso, both in the Mexican state of Yucatán, and 1,195 kilometers west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, towards which it is heading, according to the predicted path.
The tropical cyclone is moving east-southeast at a speed of 13 kilometers per hour, and according to the NHC, Milton will travel near or just north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday. Subsequently, it will cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.
The powerful hurricane poses a serious surge threat to Tampa Bay, prompting evacuation orders and increasing the urgency of cleanup efforts following Hurricane Helene, which flooded this very stretch of coastline less than two weeks ago, reported the AP agency, as cited by 7 News Miami.
The cited source reported that a hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the state of Yucatan, while much of the west coast of Florida and Lake Okeechobee, which is prone to flooding during heavy storms, are under hurricane and surge watches.
The center of Hurricane Milton could make landfall in Tampa Bay on Wednesday and continue as a hurricane as it crosses central Florida toward the Atlantic, largely sparing other states previously affected by Helene, which left at least 230 dead as it moved from Florida to the Appalachians.
Meteorologists warned of the possibility of a storm surge reaching between 2.4 and 3.6 meters in Tampa Bay. They also cautioned that heavy rains, with accumulations ranging from 13 to 25 centimeters across the mainland of Florida and the Keys, could lead to flash flooding and river flooding, with some areas receiving up to 38 centimeters of rain, AP reported.
Although Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, continues its path through the Gulf of Mexico and is strengthening as it heads toward Florida, its effects could impact the westernmost provinces of Cuba starting on Monday night, according to the latest weather reports.
Authorities have issued alerts for the region, as tropical storm winds are expected to begin affecting areas of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and Havana.
The NHC estimated that strong winds, with speeds of 39 mph or more, could reach the western tip of Cuba starting at 8:00 PM on Monday, with greater intensity during the early hours of Tuesday.
This area falls within the zone where there is a 20% to 30% chance of experiencing these winds, which poses a moderate risk to infrastructure and the well-being of the residents.
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