Hurricane Milton, which has weakened to a Category 3 storm, remains a powerful force as it approaches Florida’s central west coast. The National Hurricane Center reports that the storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday night, bringing destructive winds and triggering tornadic supercell storms across the state’s southern peninsula.
Already, multiple tornadoes, including a rare “multi-vortex tornado,” have been confirmed by the National Weather Service in Miami. Tornado warnings, alongside hurricane and storm surge alerts, are in effect for cities across Florida, especially as storm surges begin pounding the southwestern coastline.
Initially a Category 5 monster with winds exceeding 180 mph, Milton has slowed slightly as it nears the coast. As of 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, its sustained winds were clocked at 120 mph. The storm is still expected to make landfall near southern Sarasota late Wednesday evening, likely as a Category 3 hurricane, with meteorologists warning of potentially devastating impacts despite the downgrading.
Meteorologists predict that Hurricane Milton will strike the southern Sarasota area between 10 p.m. and midnight ET. Although earlier forecasts suggested it might hit as a Category 4 storm, the shift to Category 3 hasn’t mitigated the risk. The massive storm could bring catastrophic