Hurricane Milton has now intensified into a Category 4 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center reported Monday morning. Maximum sustained winds are estimated at approximately 150 mph.

The Associated Press reports that about 7 million people are now being urged to evacuate Florida, which is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene last week. According to the AP, Milton’s projected track suggests it could make landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday evening and remain a hurricane as it moves northeast through the state.

In a statement issued Sunday, the White House said President Biden had been briefed on the situation — including the hurricane’s “potential impacts” on Florida’s Gulf Coast and the work the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is doing ahead of the storm. .

According to the NHC, the Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for the coast of Mexico from Celestún to Cabo Catoche, and a tropical storm warning from Celestún to Cancun. Those in the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas are also urged to monitor its progress.

Where is Hurricane Milton and what is its path?

From Monday morning:

• Milton was located about 150 miles west of Progreso, Mexico.

• It was about 735 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida.

• The storm had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.

• The storm was moving from east to southeast at a speed of 8 miles per hour.

The NHC warned Monday morning of “an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday evening or early Wednesday.”

“Residents in that area should follow any advice from local officials and evacuate if instructed to do so,” the NHC said.

Parts of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys can expect rainfall of 5 to 10 inches through Wednesday night, with local totals of up to 15 inches. Such rainfall “brings the risk of significant flooding, urban and regional flooding, along with the possibility of moderate to major river flooding,” meteorologists said.

Meanwhile, parts of the northern Yucatan Peninsula can expect 2 to 4 inches of rain.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Kirk has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. As of Monday morning, Kirk was about 770 miles (1,230 kilometers) from the Azores and moving north-northeastward at 23 mph (37 km/h), with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). According to the NHC, no coast guards or warnings are in effect.

Milton arrives days after Helene

Hurricane Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone.

After making landfall with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h), the storm moved inland across the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and leaving widespread destruction. After the storm, the state’s infrastructure and emergency services have become scarce. As of 5:10 PM ET on Sunday, more than 350,000 Florida utility customers were still without power.

Read more from Yahoo News: Helene shows that in the age of climate change, hurricanes don’t just destroy coastlines

Active hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the peak of increased activity is usually from August to October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean typically sees about fourteen named storms, “seven of which become hurricanes and three of which become major hurricanes.”

In early October, eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic Ocean, with Milton becoming the thirteenth storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is ahead of the expected schedule. Normally, the 13th storm of the season wouldn’t hit until October 25.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that FEMA did not have the resources to get through the season. President Biden said this week that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill in the coming months to help fund states’ recovery efforts.