(WALA) – Hurricane Milton continues its rapid intensification and is now a historically strong hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. From 7 p.m. the wind continued at a speed of 300 km/h and the barometric pressure dropped to a very low value of 897 millibars. Milton will remain an extremely strong hurricane throughout the night and tomorrow, possibly making landfall along the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane.

Storm surge values ​​can reach 15 feet. Storm surge is likely to be very high even if winds weaken prior to landfall. The official forecast calls Milton a category three storm on Wednesday night. The system is currently quite small in size. We expect the wind field to grow and expand as it approaches Florida.

Locally our impact will be relatively small. We expect a high current danger along our beaches until Thursday. We don’t expect any rain here locally. A surface front should move through the area this evening, bringing drier, cooler air to the Gulf Coast.

Temperatures for highs will be in the low to mid 80s, with lows in the upper 50s and lower 60s through the end of the week.

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