USA: Hurricane Milton has strengthened to Category 5, threatening Mexico and Florida

Milton strengthened today to a Category 5 hurricane, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), which warns of “dangerous winds” in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula before the extreme weather reaches Florida by Wednesday.

Scientists are describing Milton as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane. It will bring stormy winds to the Yucatán Peninsula today and tomorrow and is expected to hit Florida‘s southeastern coast “by Tuesday night or Wednesday,” according to the NHC.

The storm intensified to a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (which has 5 levels), with wind speeds that could reach up to 250 kilometers per hour, the NHC reported today.

In response to the threat posed by Milton, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis extended the state of emergency, initially declared on Saturday, to several more communities. A total of 51 out of 67 counties are now on red alert.

The new hurricane is raising alarm in Florida and the broader southeastern U.S., much of which sustained serious damage from the catastrophic Hurricane Elin.

“If you have the means to do so (…) leave today,” Florida authorities urged during a press conference, addressing primarily the residents of the Tampa area (around 3 million people) along the Gulf of Mexico.

Meanwhile, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis clarified that Milton will remain a hurricane throughout its passage across Florida, from the western to the eastern part of the state.

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