The National Hurricane Center reports that Hurricane Milton is strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico and will hit Category 1 status on Sunday night with winds of up to 85 mph.
According to the NHC, Milton is expected to strengthen to a Category 4 late Monday night and remain there through Tuesday. On Wednesday, it is expected to weaken a little before making landfall as a Category 3.
The current projection for Milton's landfall in the Madeira Beach area of Pinellas County is approximately 5 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. However, he noted that the storm's route may vary over the next few days.
Hurricane Milton