Hurricanes

Dangerous Category 5 Hurricane Milton is expected to remain a Major hurricane and expand in size as it approaches the Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday evening. If you have family or friends that live in an evacuation zone, make sure they are following orders and leaving in a timely manner! Landfall should be Wednesday night into early Thursday as a strong Category 3 or possibly a Category 4. Many areas along Florida's Gulf coast are under hurricane warnings including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota. Orlando, Florida will also feel hurricane impacts as Milton is still expected to be a Category 2 as it moves over Orlando Thursday morning. Tampa could get storm surge up to 15 feet with 5-12" of rain and damaging hurricane force winds. Life-threatening surf & rip currents are likely. Milton should exit Florida and start to weaken as it pushes into the western Atlantic Thursday afternoon and evening. A non-tropical low in the SW Atlantic near the Bahamas & a tropical wave in the far east Atlantic have a low 20% chance for tropical development over the next 7 days. Hurricane Leslie in the Central Atlantic is expected to turn NE away from the U.S. by late week.

Hurricane Milton is the biggest story in the tropics as it has quickly blown up into a MONSTROUS Category 5 Hurricane in the SW Gulf of Mexico. It's forecast to hit Florida late Wednesday into early Thursday near Tampa Bay bringing life-threatening storm surge, a big flash flood threat and damaging winds that could be 100+ mph. It is forecast to weaken to a Category 3 Hurricane around the time of landfall. Another area is being monitored for a low 10% chance for tropical cyclone development just SE of Miami. Hurricane Leslie in the central Atlantic is expected to turn north and stay away from the U.S. Kirk has become post-tropical and is moving away from the United States.

As hurricane season approaches, make sure your preparedness plan includes a reliable light source—meteorologist John Dawson reviews a versatile battery-powered flashlight.

Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane along the west coast of the Florida peninsula. Life-threatening storm surge and winds are expected.

Currently, 4 areas are being monitored in the Atlantic basin that could pose some problems. A trough of low pressure over the western Gulf of Mexico now has a MEDIUM 50% chance for tropical development. Models do show a possible system developing early next week and heading toward Florida bringing the threat of heavy rain. The next name on the list would be Milton. Hurricane Kirk and Tropical Storm Leslie in the central Atlantic should stay far away from the U.S. Kirk could bring large swells and a high rip currents risk to the U.S. East Coast by Sunday. Another tropical wave near the west coast of Africa has a low 30% chance for development over the next 7 days.

We are still monitoring three different areas in the tropics. Kirk is a powerful Category three major hurricane in the central Atlantic. It should maintain hurricane status through early next week but is forecast to turn NE and stay out over water and away from the U.S. Tropical Depression 13 is now Tropical Storm Leslie in the eastern Atlantic. It is forecast to become a hurricane but should also stay out to sea and not impact land. Third area being monitored consists of disorganized showers and storms associated with a surface trough in the Gulf of Mexico. Right now there's a Low 30% chance that an area of low pressure could form and turn into our next tropical system over the next week. Models don't show a system rapidly developing. But they do show the threat for heavy rain increasing for the Florida Peninsula. The next tropical system would be named Milton. Keep checking back for the latest!