Monday 8 am Milton Headlines

Dangerous Milton on way to Florida
Now a major hurricane with category 5 winds
Satellite Loop

The latest imagery shows that "buzz saw" look to the system. An eye has emerged and it is firing on all cylinders.

 Headlines

• Miami-Dade, Broward & the Keys are out of the cone. Impacts will be felt far outside of it

• The center has nudged a little southward over the past several hours

• Models suggest the approaching front that should steer Milton toward Florida should start its approach within the next 48 hours. This will force Milton to move east-southeastward to eastward for the next 36 h +/-

• Then it should start a turn toward the northeast at a faster forward speed. 

• Models are in good agreement for a Florida impact 

• Thankfully it appears most models are in agreement that SE FLorida and the Keys will avoid a direct strike.

South Florida Watches & Warnings

All the areas highlighted in yellow are under a hurricane watch. This means hurricane force winds are possible over the area in 48 hours. This will probably be upgraded to a warning by tomorrow.

Areas in the light blue represent a tropical storm watch. This means tropical storm winds of 39+ mph are possible. Miami-Dade & Broward have no advisories. This may change as the system nears the west coast.

Impacts:

This graphic from the National Weather Service gives a preliminary overview of possible impacts. 

SE Florida will get some gusty winds from time to time as rain bands move through the area.
Notice the highlights under Wind and Flooding rains. They will impact all the cities of Miami-Dade & Broward Counties.

Even tropical storm winds can cause damages.

Impacts for the Keys

• Winds start increasing throughout the area Tuesday night, peaking sometime on Wednesday/Wednesday evening, before diminishing slowly heading into Thursday.

• Coastal flooding, especially on the Bayside/Gulfside of the Island Chain,

• High potential for sustained tropical storm force winds, thundery squalls with localized wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph Tuesday night through Wednesday

• Flooding rainfall with total amounts through Wednesday night most likely in the 5 to 10 inch range with isolated locations seeing as much as 15 inches. 

• A significant portion of the rainfall will be well in advance of Milton`s closest approach.

Hoping for the best