ORLANDO, Fla. – Hurricane Milton continues to move through the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as a major hurricane.
As of 2 a.m. Wednesday, Milton is a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 160 mph. While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane through landfall in Florida.
A hurricane is considered a major hurricane when it reaches Category 3 status. It is forecast to stay a major hurricane and expand in size as it approaches Florida.
[RELATED: COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Central Fla. impacts | TIMELINE: Milton in Central Florida | Why Milton is forecast to drop below Category 5 intensity | Sandbag locations | School, university closures | Milton’s rare path | Milton’s ‘dirty side’ is different | Download the FREE News 6 hurricane app]
The storm is moving northeast at 12 mph and is expected to approach the west-central coast of Florida. The center is likely to make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, and move off the east coast of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon.
The hurricane is about 360 miles southwest of Tampa right now.
Models show a combination of wind shear and some drier air impacting Milton before landfall, which will aid in weakening the storm slightly.
Regardless of the track, Central Floridians need to be prepared for hurricane conditions by Wednesday through Thursday.
Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
A hurricane warning has been issued for all of Central Florida. Click here for updates on watches and warnings.
School districts and universities in the area have announced school closures ahead of Milton. Click here to see responses and updates.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties ahead of Milton’s anticipated Gulf Coast landfall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: