Where is Hurricane Milton heading?

Hurricane Milton has hit Florida, with U.S. officials warning that central parts of the southern state are experiencing “life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding.”

The storm comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused significant damage in the southeastern United States.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida – a coastal community south of Tampa – around 8:30 p.m. EST (3:30 a.m. BST on Thursday) on Wednesday.

More than two million households and businesses are without power, dozens of homes have been destroyed and an as-yet-undetermined number of deaths have been reported.

Forecasters continue to warn of torrential rain, flash flooding, strong winds and possible storm surges of several feet as water flows inland from the coast.

Tornadoes were also reported on Milton's approach.

With wind gusts recently recorded up to 90 miles per hour (150 km/h), Milton will continue to impact Florida as it cuts through the middle of the state. Georgia and South Carolina are also affected.

It is then expected to head into the Atlantic Ocean later in the day.

During its days-long journey, Milton moved eastward from the Gulf of Mexico, where it was classified as a category one hurricane on Sunday. It has also grazed Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Before hitting Florida, the meteorologist said it “wobbled” south, prompting forecasters to change its course slightly.

The storm is affecting some of the areas recently decimated by Hurricane Helene. Tampa, whose metropolitan area is home to more than three million people, is north of Siesta Key, where the storm made landfall.

Traffic jams formed and airports announced closures as Floridians were urged to prepare for the state's largest evacuation effort in years. Officials said Milton could be the worst storm to hit the area in about a century.

As the hurricane approached, most counties were under an official state of emergency and evacuations were ordered along Florida's west coast.

Civil protection authorities issue a list and a map the evacuation orders. As a last resort for those stranded, several large emergency shelters were also set up.

Hurricanes – sometimes known as cyclones or typhoons – are a type of tropical storm that forms in the North Atlantic. They bring strong winds and heavy rain.

When ocean air is warm and moist, it rises and then begins to cool – causing clouds to form.

Sometimes this rising air at the head of the hurricane can migrate faster than it can be replaced at the surface, reducing surface pressure.

The falling pressure causes the winds to accelerate, drawing in more air as the hurricane strengthens.

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Association (Noaa) predicted that the 2024 hurricane season would be more active than usual. Rising average sea temperatures due to human-caused climate change are partly to blame, it said.

Hurricanes are divided into five categories based on their wind speed.

Milton was classified as a category five storm – the highest – on more than one occasion, but weakened as it approached the U.S. coast and struck as a category three storm.

After landing, it was further downgraded to category one.

Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened as it passed over exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, where sea surface temperatures are about 1-2°C above average.

Warmer water means hurricanes can absorb more energy, potentially leading to higher wind speeds.

A warmer atmosphere can also retain more moisture – up to about 7% for every 1°C increase in temperature. This means that rainfall from hurricanes can be more intense.

And global sea levels have risen in recent decades, largely thanks to global warming.

This increases the likelihood that a given storm surge will cause coastal flooding.

According to the U.S. government, average sea levels in Florida have risen more than 7 inches since 1970.

Quantifying the exact role of climate change in Hurricane Milton requires comprehensive scientific analysis.

But their rapid intensification fits with expectations about how these storms are changing in a warming world.