Gordon Corera
Reporting from Florida

Parts of Tampa are like a ghost town, eerily quiet.

The only people around are there to board up their homes or businesses to protect them against what is coming.

"Everyone’s gone. I’ve never seen it so quiet," Steve Crist, a 73-year-old dentist, tells me as he boards up his surgery windows.

Outside on the street is a pile of wreckage from Hurricane Helene, which hit two weeks ago.

Crist's dentist chairs were among the items destroyed and it was the first time in 43 years his office had flooded, he says.

On the wall he shows me how high the water got. There is a mark showing it rose just a few feet. But with Hurricane Milton it could go three or four times higher.

"This is the worst we have ever seen. It is going to be a lot of damage," he says. "Hope for the best, that’s all we can do."

Image source, Florida Department of Transportation

We're hearing that every major bridge in the Tampa Bay region is expected to close to vehicle traffic by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Transportation advises that the three major bridges, external which connect Tampa to St Petersburg and Clearwater areas will shut.

The bridges close when waves lap onto the road, creating a deadly hazard. Another heavily-used bridge closes when winds top 45 mph (72km/h).

At the moment, all drawbridges in the area are in the down position.

"The bridges will be closed to marine vessel traffic once lockdowns are complete and will remain closed for the duration of severe weather and until the drawbridges and waterways can be assessed for damages," the state's department of transportation posted on Facebook.

Milton brushed past the northern end of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early on Tuesday as it worked its way towards Florida.

Video shows coastal flooding and people wading through water on streets and even using boats.

Strong winds have also knocked over trees, causing power outages.

However, most of the damage has been described as minor, and it appears that no larger structures have been destroyed.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Brandon Drenon
US reporter

Hurricane Milton's arrival is coming at a vulnerable moment for many Americans.

I recently returned from North Carolina, one of multiple states in turmoil after Hurricane Helene ripped through the US's south-east less than two weeks ago.

At least 225 people have so far been confirmed killed by the storm, which also hit South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. North Carolina saw some of the most severe damage and had the highest death toll - killing at least 116 in the state.

Driving through the state's renowned mountainous western region, I saw entire buildings reduced to rubble, massive trees split into pieces, and power lines strewn across streets lined with piles of rubbish.

Cinda Galgano, whose home was among a dozen in a trailer park that was wrecked by flood waters, said she had to be rescued by boat. She returned to her home in Boone days later, where we met.

Standing in the living room, floor covered in mud and belongings scattered everywhere, she told me: "The bed, the mattress is ruined. The floors are buckling in. Water went into my refrigerator, my dryer. It got into everything."

The freshness of Helene's wounds is certainly still on the minds of those in Florida, as Milton draws nearer. "Unfortunately some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference yesterday.

Image source, BBC News/ Brandon Drenon

Virgin Atlantic has joined a long list of airlines that are suspending flights to Florida due to the approaching hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

Virgin said the flights had been cancelled due to "adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton".

Two Virgin flights between Heathrow and Tampa scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled.

Nine more flights scheduled for Wednesday have also been cancelled, including flights between Orlando and Manchester.

Thursday's closures will also affect flights leaving from Edinburgh in Scotland.

Virgin Atlantic advises that people check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

With Hurricane Milton being re-upgraded to a category five storm and Floridians choosing whether to evacuate or stay in their homes, here's a look at where things stand:

• Milton has cycled through varying degrees of severity over the last 48 hours but earlier regained its category five status with sustained wind speeds at roughly 165mph (270km/h)
• In multiple counties, school districts have closed, businesses have shut down, and evacuation orders have gone into effect - Disney World announced it would close its Florida theme parks tomorrow
• Weather officials said people should expect the storm's track to vary, but that it still "has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida" when it makes landfall on Wednesday night
• The effects of Milton have already been felt in Mexico as the storm brushed past the northern end of the Yucatan Peninsula, bringing coastal flooding and strong winds that downed power lines and trees
• Hundreds of flights to and from Florida have been cancelled, including 346 flights coming into and out of Tampa on Tuesday and another 378 on Wednesday; In Orlando, a total of 781 flights have been cancelled
• Meanwhile, the US government's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it has 20 million meals and 40 million litres of water ready to deploy

The US Department of Transportation is reminding people of the dangers of attempting to drive through floodwaters.

It only takes about 12 inches (30cm) of water for most cars to start floating and potentially be swept away in rushing water, the department says ahead of Milton's arrival in Florida.

The official guidance is the phrase: "Turn around, don’t drown."

The department also reminds people that it's extremely unsafe to walk or swim through floodwaters.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, NOAA

The new bulletin from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami says that "Milton wobbled a bit to the southeast" on Tuesday, forcing forecasters to change their expected track.

"Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida," the NHC says.

The NHC adds that even the most accurate forecasts could still be off by about 60 miles (100km), so residents across the entire state should be prepared to feel Milton's impact.

Milton will "maintain major hurricane strength" as it travels through the Gulf, "but even if this causes some weakening, it will likely not be enough to keep Milton from being an extremely dangerous hurricane when it reaches shore".

"Evacuations and other preparations should be completed today," the forecast adds.

Ben Rich
BBC Weather

Hurricane Milton has continued to strengthen over the last few hours – and is now, once again, a category five hurricane. Sustained winds in the centre are about 165mph (270km/h) with gusts even stronger than that.

The storm’s strength is, in part, down to the exceptionally warm oceans it has been travelling over. Sea surface temperatures in that area of the world are significantly higher than normal, something that scientists say has been made many times more likely by climate change.

Milton may weaken somewhat as it heads towards Florida. Current forecasts suggest it will make landfall as a top-end category three storm. But make no mistake, it will still be an extremely powerful hurricane.

The combination of damaging winds, widespread flooding rain and a storm surge of up to 15 feet (4.5m) is likely to be devastating.

The US National Hurricane Center has upgraded Milton to a category five storm.

It has maximum sustained wind speeds of 165mph (270km/h).

It is likely to fluctuate in intensity as the storm moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Alex Lederman
Reporting from Tampa

Image source, Getty Images

Driving through the streets of Tampa, it feels like a ghost town. Shops are boarded up. Restaurants are closed. Homes are empty.

Residents are taking the evacuation warnings seriously.

Our drive into Tampa was easy. But people heading in the opposite direction — away from the hurricane — can hardly say the same.

We saw heavy traffic lining the highway as people fled the imminent landfall.

Few other cars traveled in our direction. Among them, we saw what appeared to be National Guard fuel trucks. Journalists and disaster workers are among the few who head toward the storm.

Shortly after arriving, it started to rain. Heavily for a normal day, but minuscule compared to what’s to come.

Walt Disney World theme parks in Florida will close on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton surges towards the west coast of the state.

The various parks and attractions will close in phases, starting at 13:00 local time.

The company said its theme parks in the region will remain closed on Thursday, with the potential for some attractions to open on Thursday afternoon.

How climate change is affecting hurricanespublished at 20:56 British Summer Time 8 October

20:56 BST 8 October

Mark Poynting
Climate and environment researcher

Image source, NOAA/Reuters

One key factor in the rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton is the very high sea temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Warm waters provide the energy for hurricanes to strengthen – so hotter seas can mean more powerful hurricanes, if other conditions are right.

Stronger onshore winds can amplify storm surges – short-term increases to sea levels due to storms.

And long-term sea level rise – largely thanks to global warming – makes it is more likely that any given storm surge will lead to coastal flooding.

In Florida, average sea-levels have risen by more than 18cm (7in) since 1970, according to US government data.

Warmer air can also hold more moisture, potentially increasing the rainfall totals.

A full scientific analysis will be needed to quantify the exact role of climate change in Hurricane Milton.

But it fits with expectations of how these storms are changing in a warming world.

Read more: How climate change is affecting hurricanes

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has just held a briefing to share some updates on the approaching hurricane.

He warns residents they "absolutely could get whacked" with a "really serious storm surge" and that "almost every place on the west coast of Florida" could be hit with the surge.

DeSantis says evacuations and preparations ahead of Hurricane Milton are unprecedented. And he thanked everyone who had just dealt with Hurricane Helene and now have to do it all again.

"I know everybody's tired, trust me," he said.

We're just hearing an update from the US government's Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which says it has 20 million meals and 40 million litres of water ready to deploy as it prepares for Milton's landfall.

The agency says it's "leaning forward" and has pre-staged a variety of resources to be ready for the latest hurricane to his the US - including urban and maritime search and rescue teams, medical units, temporary power teams from the US Army Corps of Engineers, and even waste waster and removal experts.

Food and water resources have been staged at five separate bases from where they can be deployed as needed, the statement says, adding that hundreds of staff have already been deployed.

Willie Nunn, Fema's regional coordinator, will remain in Florida to oversee the response.

Here's some of the latest satellite imagery we're seeing, showing the storm as it hurtles towards the US's Gulf Coast.

As we've been reporting, it's due arrive in Florida tomorrow.

Ben Rich
BBC Weather

The US air force’s “Hurricane Hunters” – aircraft that fly into the heart of hurricanes to take measurements – have found that Milton is strengthening once again.

Sustained winds in the centre of the storm are now estimated to be about 155mph (250km/h) with stronger gusts.

This makes Milton a top-end category four hurricane.

The intensity of the storm is forecast to wax and wane slightly between now and when it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday night.

But regardless of the exact numbers, the US National Hurricane Center expects it to remain an “extremely dangerous hurricane” and is warning residents who have been told to evacuate that Tuesday is their last full day to do so.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
US Reporter

Hundreds of flights to and from Florida have been cancelled ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in the state, according to data from FlightAware.

At Tampa International Airport, 158 outgoing flights were called today, along with 188 incoming flights - a total of 346 flights.

Another 378 flights into and out of Tampa have already been cancelled for Wednesday.

The figure is even greater for flights to Orlando, with a total of 781 Wednesday flights already cancelled.

US airlines waived change fees and fare differences for passengers impacted by the storms.

Several airlines also flew additional aircraft to Florida ahead of the hurricane's strike for passengers who were seeking to leave before it strikes.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather Lead Presenter

Milton is still forecast to make landfall as a Category three or four Major Hurricane during Wednesday night.

However, given the size of Milton, tropical storm force winds of between 40 and 73 mph (117km/h) will already be arriving on the west Florida coast from mid-late morning on Wednesday - accompanied by torrential rain.