As Hurricane Milton approaches land, forecasters are keeping a close watch on a new disturbance forming off the east coast of Florida that could potentially become Tropical Storm Nadine, the next named storm of the hurricane season.
Forecasters Track New Disturbance
Hurricane Milton is expected to reach the Gulf Coast of Florida late Wednesday. It has been fluctuating in strength, moving between Category 4 and 5 intensity since Tuesday. However, it experienced a slight downgrade to a Category 3 storm as of Wednesday morning.
The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) has indicated that Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night along Florida's Gulf Coast.
In a recent advisory, the NHC informed the public that they are closely monitoring another disturbance located about 300 miles from Bermuda. This system currently does not have a name since it is not strong enough yet, but if it does develop further, it will be called Nadine.
Forecasters have given this disturbance a 30% chance of developing into a cyclone within the next two to seven days. They mentioned that environmental conditions are not very favorable for development today as the disturbance is moving northeastward at about 15 miles per hour.
They expect that upper-level winds will strengthen tonight or Thursday, which could hinder any further development of the storm.
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Hurricane Milton Approaches Florida's Gulf Coast
As residents of Florida prepare for Hurricane Milton, millions are finalizing their storm preparations and evacuating areas that are at risk. The NHC has warned that the storm surge associated with Milton could lead to an "extremely life-threatening situation" for communities along Florida's western coast.
Additionally, damaging winds and heavy rainfall are expected to impact areas far inland, beyond the areas initially forecasted.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to take the threat seriously, warning them that "time is running out" as Milton approaches, according to USA Today. If Milton continues on its current path, it may become "the most powerful hurricane to hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years," the National Weather Service in Tampa warned.
Evacuation orders are currently in place for over one million people across at least 16 counties, and this number is expected to rise as the storm approaches the coast. Florida's emergency management officials are on high alert, with over 20 million of the state's 22 million residents facing either hurricane or tropical storm warnings.
READ MORE: Storm Surge Warning: Hurricane Milton's Life Threatening Waves May Reach Up to 15 Feet
This article first appeared on Nature World News.
