Hurricane Milton continues to organize and strengthen in the SW Gulf

Published: Updated:
Milton

Tropical Storm Milton has strengthened into Hurricane Milton in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

As of Monday’s 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Centerthe Weather Authority is tracking the hurricane as it moves east at 8 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 100 mph.

The peak intensity of the storm has increased to 145 mph.

Milton

Southwest Florida remains in the cone as of Monday morning.

An eastward to east-northeastward motion is forecast during the next couple of days, followed by a faster northeastward motion.

The NHC is calling for Milton to be upgraded to a category 3 hurricane before making landfall Wednesday somewhere along the Florida West Coast.

Surge updates and tropical alerts as of Monday morning:

The National Hurricane Center is currently calling for 8-12 ft. from Tampa Bay down into Sarasota County, 5-10 ft. for Charlotte and Lee and 4 -7 ft. for Collier County.

Hurricane watches are now in effect for all of the Southwest Florida coast. A Storm surge watch is in effect, too. Landfall remains possible from Southwest Florida to the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, with lingering effects into Thursday morning.

Now is the time to prepare.

The Weather Authority Team is also tracking Hurricane Kirk, a major hurricane in the Central Atlantic, Hurricane Leslie in the Eastern Atlantic, and a tropical wave in the Eastern Atlantic.

The good news is that the strongest tropical systems, Hurricane Kirk and Hurricane Leslie, are forecast to stay in the Atlantic and far away from the United States.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story. 

Download the WINK Weather app, stream the latest forecast or WINK Doppler 3x anywhere you go.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.