Hurricane Milton is expected to hit the west coast of Florida on Wednesday, the National Weather Service has warned.

Forecasters say the storm will continue to grow in size and remain 'extremely dangerous'.

Residents in impacted areas should follow advice issued by local officials and evacuate immediately if instructed to do so.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has published wild satellite images that show the speed and intensity with which Hurricane Milton ramped up into a Category 5, with speeds said to hit up to 180 miles per hour and gusts over 200.

The International Space Station also posted video as it flew over the storm on Monday morning as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico.

With Hurricane Milton hitting winds of up to 180 miles per hour and at such a high speed, scientists are wondering if the storm defies the five category system and should go up to a Category 6.

Florida’s Gulf Coast braced on Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Milton’s near-record winds and expected massive storm surge, which could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian’s wrath two years ago.

Almost the entirety of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane warning early on Tuesday as the Category 5 storm and its 165mph winds crept toward the state at 9mph, sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm water.

The strongest Atlantic hurricane on record is 1980’s Allen, which reached wind speeds of 190 mph as it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf before striking Texas and Mexico.

The storm, which CNN called 'the strongest on Earth in 2024,' was described by an Orlando meteorologist as 'nothing short of astronomical.'

'I am at a loss for words to meteorlogically describe you the storms small eye and intensity,' Noah Bergen said.

Bergen reported seeing wing gusts as high as 200 miles per hour with max sustained winds at 180 mph.

'This is now the 4th strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on this side of the world. The eye is TINY at nearly 3.8 miles wide. This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth's atmosphere over this ocean water can produce.'

It has many asking if the storm can or should be classified as a Category 6.

While no official designation exists, scientist and author Michael E. Mann said that '#Milton might have actually breached the 192 mph "cat 6" cutoff.'

The five categories, based on wind speed ranges, were used to designate hurricanes since the 1970s with what's known as the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, developed by engineer Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson.

The barrier for Category 5 storms is winds of 157 miles per hour.

Simpson said in 1999 that the scale doesn't go past a Category 5 because they designed it to show the danger winds could cause buildings and to provide advice for those designing and constructing them.

Winds that would go past Category 5 would 'cause rupturing damages that are serious no matter how well it's engineered.'

Retired scientist Jim Kossin told USA Today that a Category 5 that goes from 157 mph and beyond is 'becoming more and more inadequate with time because climate change is creating more and more of these unprecedented intensities.'

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.

That would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.

Tampa Bay has not been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921, and authorities fear luck is about to run out for the region and its 3.3 million residents.

Social media video captured a stunning lightning strike in Cancun, which is located on the outer bands of Hurricane Milton as it makes its way toward Florida.

Parts of Mexico had to evacuate both residents and tourists earlier on Monday.

Multiple people have posted anecdotes of Floridians unable to afford the cost of either driving or flying their way out of the state ahead of Hurricane Milton.

'I've had two people in the last HOUR tell me they can't afford to evacuate for Hurricane Milton Never tell me low wages aren't violent ever again,' one user on X posted.

A Sarasota resident also claimed they lack the financial means to get out of the storm's way.

'I live in Sarasota, which is in the direct path of Hurricane Milton. They are evacuating my town, but there is no gas left to evacuate, and traffic is so bad that it could be more dangerous to try and evacuate at this point. What would you do if you were me?'

People in the replies to her post reassured her that gas stations did have fuel as people tried to leave.

Dozens of residents and tourists lined up with suitcases and other belongings to catch an evacuation ferry off Holbox Island, on the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Holbox, popular for its shallow seascapes, may be one of the closest points that Hurricane Milton brushes before moving toward Florida. The low-lying island tends to flood even with a light rain.

Off-and-on resident Marilú Macías was calm and smiling, but was afraid of what Milton could do to the island.

'We are afraid something might happen to us. We´re going someplace safer,' Macías said of herself and her daughters. 'We decided it was best to leave the island.'

Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor pleaded with residents to evacuate her city before it is hit with what could be the worst storm in 100 years.

Castor, speaking to CNN Monday night, was asked what her message was to Tampa residents. She told them to prepare and get out of the evacuation zones before a drastic warning.

'I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.'

She further promises those reluctant to leave that they 'may have done that for other [storms], but there's never been one like this.'

Castor, the city's former police chief, claimed to have never given a warning like this before.

'This is something that I have never seen in my life and anyone who was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen this before.'

President Joe Biden has spoken with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss preparations in Florida for the approaching Hurricane Milton and ongoing recovery efforts from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

The White House confirmed the president´s call with the governor after Vice President Kamala Harris earlier on Monday accused DeSantis of 'playing political games' and engaging in 'political gamesmanship' over the federal response to Helene.

Biden, according to the White House, asked DeSantis 'to call him directly if there is anything that can be done to further support the response and recovery efforts.'

Harris´ office suggested earlier that DeSantis was dodging Harris, saying she reached out to the governor last week but the two never spoke.

DeSantis said that he 'didn´t know that she had called' and 'they didn´t call me.'

Biden also spoke on Monday with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and received a detailed briefing from National Weather Service Director Ken Graham on the expected impact Milton will cause.

An Orlando-based meteorologist is sounding the alarm as Hurricane Milton strengthens ahead of its Wednesday landfall.

Noah Bergen with Fox 35 Orlando called the storm 'nothing short of astronomical.'

'I am at a loss for words to meteorlogically describe you the storms small eye and intensity,' he said.

Bergen reported seeing wing gusts as high as 200 miles per hour with max sustained winds at 180 mph.

'This is now the 4th strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on this side of the world. The eye is TINY at nearly 3.8 miles wide. This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth's atmosphere over this ocean water can produce.'

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are planning to relocate to the New Orleans area to prepare for Sunday´s game against the Saints with Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall along Florida´s west coast.

The Bucs intend to travel Tuesday and spend the rest of the week out of state instead of practicing as usual at the team´s training facility in Tampa.

Milton strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and could make landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday.

The NHL´s Tampa Bay Lightning canceled Monday night´s scheduled preseason finale against the Nashville Predators. The game initially was rescheduled from Sept. 27 due to Hurricane Helene, which caused extensive damage in the region two weeks ago.

The Lightning open the regular season at Carolina on Friday. There was no immediate word on whether the team would evacuate to Raleigh, North Carolina, ahead of the storm.

The NBA´s Orlando Magic are on the road this week, playing at New Orleans on Monday night and at San Antonio on Wednesday.

College sports are being impacted, too, with UCF in Orlando announcing all home athletics events on Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled. That includes Wednesday´s volleyball match against Colorado, Thursday´s women´s soccer match against Arizona and the first day of the men´s tennis ITA Southeast Regionals on Thursday.

The school said Saturday's Big 12 home football game vs. Cincinnati is still scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

Videos and photos posted to social media have begun to show the mass exodus from Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, set to make landfall Wednesday morning.

One video showed sped-up shots as thousands left Sarasota up I-75 to escape the Sunshine State.

Another showed people getting out of Tampa Bay, the place where the National Weather Service claimed that if it continues on track, it will be the worst storm in a century.

National Weather Service officials in Tampa Bay warn that Hurricane Milton could be the worst storm to hit the city in 100 years.

The storm is on track to make landfall on Wednesday morning, with NWS posting a warning to social media Monday.

'If the storm stays on the current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years. Please evacuate if told to do so.'

The graphic they provided showed the western coastline of Florida near Tampa/St. Petersburg bracing for a 'Level 4' impact.

That includes 'water possibly reaching several miles inland' and 'extensive damage to marinas, docks and piers. Numerous small craft broken away, lifted onshore & stranded.'

Further graphics showed areas of the state at a 'Level 3' flooding rain threat, which means that 'rivers and tributaries [could] overflow their banks in multiple places' and rescues 'may be necessary.'

The National Hurricane Center posted what it called its 'Experimental Cone graphic' for Hurricane Milton, showing how most of the central part of the state is on either Hurricane Warning or Hurricane Watch.

The National Hurricane Center has issued Storm Surge Warnings for the west coast of Florida as Hurricane Milton his winds of 180 miles per hour.

The bulleting is issued everywhere from Tampa

Bay to the coastline, with Tropical Storm Warnings for much of the area as well.

Further, a Storm Surge Watch has been issued for much of the southeast coast from Florida to South Carolina.

'Milton Poses an Extremely Serious Threat to Florida and Residents Are Urged to Follow the Orders of Local Officials,' the NHC said in a social media post.

Anna Paulina Luna has once again urged everyone in Florida's hit zones to evacuate.

In a desperate X post, she wrote: 'I am asking everyone to EVACUATE immediately. This is going to be a catastrophic hit.'

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has issued a dire warning to those living in the evacuation zones.

She told a news conference today: 'This is the real deal here with Milton.

'If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.'

The airline confirmed it has added an emergency flight for Caymanian students who are currently studying in Tampa or visiting.

Anyone wishing to purchase tickets should call Cayman Airways Reservations on 345-949-2311, 1-800-422-9626 or book online.

Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Jacksonville are in Hurricane Milton's projected path of the destruction.

The Gulf Coast city of Tampa is set to be struck first, with Accuweather predicting the worst conditions for the city will prevail 8am Wednesday through 2am Thursday, with up to 12 inches of rain, 140mph winds, and storm surges of up to 15 feet.

Orlando is next on the hurricane's hit list, with the worst conditions expected from 12pm Wednesday until 6am Sunday.

Accuweather warns residents in Fort Myers to brace for the worst of the storm from 8am Wednesday to 2am Monday, while Jacksonville locals should expect to see the direst impacts from 12pm Wednesday to 11am Thursday.

Seamen are pictured removing their boats from the ocean in Puerto Juarez, Quintana Roo State, on Monday, as the hurricane reached 'explosive' levels in the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded the expected wind speed yet again as the hurricane intensified while tracking across the Gulf of Mexico.

The State Assistance Information Line went active mid Monday ahead of the storm barreling in.

Hurricane Milton will be the worst disaster that Florida has ever seen, a longstanding weatherman has warned.

David Hartman, who works for WAPT in neighboring Mississippi, wrote: 'Sadly, this is shaping up to the worst natural disaster in modern history for Florida.'

His X post came after Milton was declared a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest type there is.

Milton is set to make landfall Wednesday. The most recent updates suggest the Tampa area could be hit by 15 foot storm surges and wind speeds of 175 mph.

Evacuation orders began at 10am Monday, with gas and flights selling out as locals began to flee.

Much of the area is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, with worried locals fearful Milton will obliterate properties badly damaged by the previous storm.

A woman is seen packing her car to leave St Petersburg in Florida Monday, ahead of Hurricane Milton

Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, has been converted into an evacuation shelter for people further west who have been ordered to leave their homes.

Lightning can be seen flickering in the eye of the hurricane, which is currently barreling through the Gulf of Mexico.

Meteorologists have warned the storm surge - the rise in seawater levels above the normal predicted astronomical tide - could reach as high as 15 feet on the west coast of Florida.

This marks an increase of six feet from predictions set earlier on Monday morning - indicating how quickly the storm is gathering pace as it barrels towards the Florida coast.

Milton is gathering steam as it courses east through the Gulf of Mexico where it is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning along Florida's northwestern coast.

Watch DailyMail.com's live tracker here.

The National Hurricane Center has warned Milton has strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane - the most severe classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

The eye of the storm is about 125 miles west of Progreso, Mexico, and about 735 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, the agency said at 11:55 a.m ET.

Category 5 storms bring 'catastrophic damage' to communities, according to the center.

'A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse,' the center's advisory reads.

'Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months.

'Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.'

Only four Category 5 hurricanes have hit the US mainland previously, including Hurricane Michael, which struck the Florida Panhandle in 2018.

'If this storm surge is anything like the last week... Tampa is going to be f***ed,' one local said in a TikTok video, while showing viewers the destruction left over from Helene on his street.

The National Hurricane Center has warned Milton is set to become a Category 5 hurricane - the most severe classification on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Category 5 storms bring 'catastrophic damage' to communities, according to the center.

The US flag has been seen flying upside down, the international sign of distress, outside a home in Treasure Island on the Gulf Coast, where the hurricane is expected to hit first.

The window has nearly closed for people to escape Tampa Bay by plane, where Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

Delta Air Lines ran out of Monday flights from Tampa to Atlanta at 10.30am Monday, with customers having to pay more than $800 for a roundabout flight to Washington DC instead.

Meanwhile, American Airlines is selling flights from Tampa to Atlanta for between $641 and $2,400, with only a couple of seats remaining on each plane.

Tampa International Airport will be closing at 9am Tuesday.

Meanwhile, gas stations are running out of gas, potentially preventing people from escaping by car.

Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has warned residents to comply with evacuation orders as officials expect 'flooding up to nine feet in certain areas' including Tampa Bay and the Barrier Islands.

'This is coming directly at us as of right now,' she said in a video message to residents.

'We have super saturated ground because of the previous flooding from Helene.

'This is going to be worse, and a lot of these people that are not with us now unfortunately are not with us because they chose to stay.

'So please do not take this for granted, please leave.'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made a statement after declaring a state of emergency across much of Florida.

'Tropical Storm Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida, current estimates are Wednesday at about 5pm but there's still a lot of uncertainty on that,' DeSantis said, speaking at the Emergency Operations Center.

'I'd urge Floridians to take this storm very seriously - do not get wedded to the cone.'

The US government's disaster relief agency, FEMA, said it has been the target of false claims and conspiracy theories about its response to Hurricane Helene.

FEMA faced intense criticism for allegedly being slow to act - as some residents even claimed they were left to fend for themselves after minor obstacles like a 'road closed' sign prompted officials to abandon efforts in their town.

'It’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people,' said FEMA boss Deanne Criswell.

'It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do. We have had the complete support of the state,' she added, referring to North Carolina.

Republicans including Donald Trump have accused FEMA of intentionally withholding aid to people in red-voting areas.

Residents have been preparing for the incoming deluge, which meteorologists have warned could bring up to 15 inches of rain, by flood-proofing their homes.

Sandbags can be seen lining many properties in Sarasota - while the debris from Hurricane Helene which ravaged the area two weeks ago is still visible on the same streets.

The incoming Category 4 hurricane is expected to slam into many of the same areas hit by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.

Residents have barely had time to recover from the last storm, which killed 230 people across the US, before evacuating or bunkering down for a second time.

Helene was the the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005 which killed more than 1,800 people - and meteorologists have warned Milton is expected to be even worse.

Tampa International Airport has announced it will be closing due to the hurricane.

'We will suspend flight operations at 9am Tuesday and reopen when safe to do so,' the airport said Monday morning.

Milton is expected to make landfall in Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

The resort has taken some steps to prepare for the hurricane though, including barring people from making park reservations for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Disney has a track record of only closing under the direst conditions.

While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.

The latest model from the National Weather Service shows Milton making landfall in Tampa Bay on Wednesday afternoon. Six million people are currently under hurricane warnings.

Attorney General Ashley Moody asked residents who are refusing to evacuate to take measures which would help responders identify them if they perish in the hurricane.

'You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards,' she warned at a news conference.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded Milton to a Category 4 hurricane early Monday morning.

This means Milton is expected to bring 'catastrophic damage', with winds of up to 156mph and storm surges of up to nine feet.

'Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed,' the National Hurricane Center said.

'Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.'

The center issued a hurricane watch for Florida's Gulf coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay, as well as for the Dry Tortugas.

Meanwhile, a storm surge watch covers the Gulf coast from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.

Meteorology expert John Morales was on the verge of tears as he reported on what is to come for Florida live on NBC6.

'It's just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped-- ' Morales said before pausing, visibly emotional.

'It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours,' he continued. 'I apologize. This is just horrific.'

'Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph,' Morales added. 'And it is just gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico where the winds--I mean, the seas, are just so, incredibly, incredibly hot.

'Record hot, as you might imagine. You know what's driving that. I don't need to tell you: global warming, climate change [are] leading to this and becoming an increasing threat for the Yucatan, including Merida and Progreso and other areas there.'

Florida residents have rushed to stock up on supermarket supplies in preparation for the incoming deluge.

Shelves have been left empty in one Walmart in the Gulf Coast city of Sarasota - one of the first places expected to be hit by the hurricane on Wednesday.