VIDEO: Life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast this week with the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which was upgraded Monday afternoon into a Category 5 hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico.
The storm first strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane by 7 a.m. and by 9 a.m. ET rapidly intensified into a Category 4, the National Hurricane Center said.
In a matter of a few hours Milton "explosively intensified" into a Category 5 hurricane by noon ET. Milton now churns with fierce 175 mph winds, the NHC said in a 2 p.m. ET update. It's located about 105 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 700 miles southwest of Tampa.
The storm is forecast to make landfall Wednesday evening in Florida, which along with the wider southeastern United States continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene. Widespread evacuation orders are underway in Florida.