HURRICANE MILTON RAPIDLY INTENSIFIES TO CATEGORY 5 INTENSITY… Data from the USAF Hurricane Hunter crew indicate maximum sustained winds near the pinhole eye of Hurricane Milton have increased to near 160 mph, making Hurricane Milton a rare Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale. Minimum central pressure is down to 925 millibars. Further strengthening will be possible over the next several hours. We note these strong, intense winds extend only a few miles from the tiny eye of this hurricane.
HURRICANE WATCH POSTED FOR WEST COAST OF FLORIDA… A Hurricane Watch is in effect for Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Clearwater, Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, Naples, and surrounding areas in central and south Florida. Officially, the Hurricane Watch runs from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Chokoloskee to Flamingo and on the north side from the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass. The Florida Keys are also involved with the Tropical Storm Watch.
EXTREME RISK OF STORM SURGE AND HIGH WIND FOR PARTS OF FLORIDA… Hurricane Milton could become the benchmark storm for many areas in parts of Florida, with an extreme risk of storm surge and damaging, high wind. Flooding rain and tornadoes are also expected. We encourage everyone who gets an evacuation order to HEED IT and get out of any flood zones! Milton is a dangerous storm and should be treated accordingly.
LOCAL IMPACTS DISCUSSION – ALABAMA & N.W. FLORIDA… No significant, direct impacts are expected due to Hurricane Milton in Alabama or northwest Florida. Much of the week will be sunny and dry locally with cooler temperatures expected later this week. There will be a high risk of rip currents and high waves at the Alabama and Florida beaches through the end of the week and perhaps into the weekend as well.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have more updates posted throughout the day in the RedZone Weather app. Have a nice Monday!