Storm Milton becomes a hurricane before reaching the US

Tropical Storm Milton became a Category 1 hurricane this Sunday (10/06/2024) after its winds intensified to 129 kilometers per hour, according to the United States National Hurricane Center.

It is currently located about 1,312 kilometers west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and could make landfall next Wednesday (10/09/2024) as a potentially destructive Category 3 hurricane.

Faced with the meteorological scenario, the governor of Florida declared a state of emergency, while the state in the southeastern United States is barely recovering from the deadly Cyclone Helene. Depending on its trajectory, Milton could cause new damage to areas of the Florida coast

Initial forecasts show Milton would likely cross Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warning of possible “life-threatening impacts to areas of Florida’s west coast on Tuesday or Wednesday.”