Hurricane Milton horror as storm 'supercharges' into 180mph winds as 'get out or die' warning issued

Thousands of people have evacuated their homes in Florida as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday. A meteorologist said it is 'nothing short of astronomical'

Florida residents have been issued a major evacuation as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning with winds of up to 180mph – with the Mayor warning 'if you stay you will die".

There are fears that the hurricane's winds and expected massive surge could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene's devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian's wrath two years ago. Almost the entirety of Florida's west coast is now under a hurricane warning.

The hurricane scale includes five categories based on the storm's sustained wind speed, as well as the potential damage to property - ranging from "some damage" to "catastrophic". The highest level is Category 5, which refers to a storm reaching wind speeds of 157mph or higher.

Milton is classed under Category 5, but there is speculation that as the hurricane "supercharges" into a huge storm, it might actually reach wind speeds that would make it fall under an unprecedented Category 6 - with winds of over 192mph. Retired scientist Jim Kossin told USA Today that Category 5 is "becoming more and more inadequate with time because climate change is creating more and more of these unprecedented intensities."

Orlando meteorologist Noah Bergen described the storm as "nothing short of astronomical" as he wrote on X, formerly called Twitter: "This is nothing short of astronomical. I am at a loss for words to meteorologically describe you the storms small eye and intensity. 897mb pressure with 180 MPH max sustained winds and gusts 200+ MPH."

He also said Milton is the fifth strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure. The expert added: "This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth's atmosphere over this ocean water can produce."

The centre of Hurricane Milton could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas.

"This is the real deal here with Milton," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a news conference. "If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 per cent of the time." The mayor also warned the city's nearly 400,000 residents that if they don't evacuate before the hurricane makes landfall, they risk dying.

Castor told CNN: "If you choose to stay … you are going to die." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Monday that it was imperative for debris from Helene to be cleared ahead of Milton's arrival so the pieces cannot become projectiles. More than 300 vehicles gathered debris Sunday.

As evacuation orders were issued, forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay. This is the highest ever predicted for the region and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said National Hurricane Centre spokesperson Maria Torres.

The storm could also bring widespread flooding, with five to 10 inches of rain forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, and as much as 15 inches expected in some places. The Tampa metro area has a population of more than 3.3 million people. "It's a huge population. It's very exposed, very inexperienced, and that's a losing proposition," Massachusetts Institute of Technology meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said. "I always thought Tampa would be the city to worry about most."

About 150 miles south of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was nearly a ghost town by Monday afternoon as an evacuation order took effect. Hurricane Ian devastated the 5,000-resident community two years ago, with its 15-foot storm surge destroying or severely damaging 400 homes and businesses. Fourteen people died there as they tried to ride out the storm, and dozens had to be rescued.

On Monday, the few residents who could be found were racing against the clock to safeguard their buildings and belongings. None said they were staying. The signs of Ian's devastation remain visible everywhere. Rebuilt homes stand next to others in various states of construction. There are numerous vacant lots, which were once rare.

"This whole street used to be filled out with houses," said Mike Sandell, owner of Pool-Rific Services. His workers were removing and storing pumps and heaters Monday from his clients' pools so they wouldn't get destroyed.

Home construction supplies like bricks, piping and even workers' outhouses lined the streets, potential projectiles that could do further damage if a surge hits. The strongest Atlantic hurricane on record is 1980's Allen, which reached wind speeds of 190 mph as it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf before striking Texas and Mexico.