A state of emergency was declared in Florida before the severe Hurricane Milton

MIAMI – All eyes are on Milton as the dangerous impending hurricane will bring damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge and torrential rain expected to hit Florida's west coast during the work week. After making landfall, this would be the third hurricane of the season Debbie in August and Helene in September.

The National Hurricane Center classified the nascent Cyclone Milton as a tropical storm on Saturday afternoon, but that is now expected intensify quickly become a hurricane by Monday and reach Florida on Wednesday.

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The forecast for Milton has changed significantly in the last day or so, showing greater potential for a stronger storm.

“The bottom line is that there is the potential for a significant, problematic and devastating storm to approach Florida on Tuesday, Wednesday of next week,” said hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross.

What's new on Tropical Storm Milton?

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What is the forecast for Tropical Storm Milton?

Milton is forecast to gain momentum early this week and turn east-northeast across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico, reaching hurricane strength on Monday, with rapid strengthening early in the week, the NHC said .

Under the current schedule, Milton would arrive on the Florida Peninsula around Wednesday, although winds could increase late Tuesday. Long before the storm, heavy waves of precipitation are forecast starting Sunday, particularly in central and southern Florida.

The National Hurricane Center now predicts that Hurricane Milton will make landfall around the Tampa metro as a Category 3 hurricane.

“There's really no good news in any of these different computer forecasts, but here we are,” Norcross said.

The NHC shares these concerns.

“Regardless of the exact details of the intensity forecast, an intense hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards is likely to impact the west coast of the Florida Peninsula next week,” the agency said.

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What storm surge options are there in Florida?

Norcross said it's too early to predict how much storm surge this system could produce on Florida's west coast, as it depends on Milton's route and where it makes landfall in western Florida. But it will be significant and dangerous.

“In some areas it will likely be higher than Hurricane Helene,” Norcross said. “It is important that everyone in Central and South Florida stays well informed as things are moving quickly.”

Ahead of the storm, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for dozens of counties from South Florida to northern parts of the state.

How much rain is expected?

Forecast models show the heaviest precipitation is expected to come from the Interstate 4 corridor and toward the south, where 5 to 8 inches of rain could fall over a widespread area over the next week, with nearly a foot of rain in some areas.

Since much of the rain will be spread over several days, widespread flooding is not expected, but problems could arise if thunderstorms repeatedly pass over the same region.

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Will Milton face North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia or South Carolina?

The expected affected region is further south of where Hurricane Helene made landfall last week, so the hardest-hit areas of the Big Bend will not receive as much rainfall as places like Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa and Miami.

In addition to rainfall, rough seas will lead to the risk of increased currents and erosion on beaches – a pattern that will continue well into next week.

On its current path, Hurricane Milton will not move through the Southeast like Hurricane Helene, but rain from Milton's outer bands could reach South Carolina and Georgia and is expected to stay well south of North Carolina and Tennessee.

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What to Expect for the Rest of Hurricane Season?

Waters in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf remain sufficiently warm for development, and October is typically the busiest month for landings in South Florida.

According to NOAA historical data, more than 60% of landfalls in the region occur after the climatological peak of the hurricane season, September 10th.

The latest date a hurricane has ever hit the Sunshine State is November 21, when Hurricane Kate hit the Florida Panhandle in 1985.

The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor Hurricane Kirk in the Central Atlantic and Hurricane Leslie in the Eastern Atlantic, which are expected to have a greater impact on Europe than the United States

There is also a new disturbance off the coast of Africa, which is being observed but is expected to develop slowly.