Summary

  • More than 2m homes and businesses are now without power across Florida, with whole neighbourhoods going dark

  • Deaths have been confirmed in St Lucie County on the state’s east coast where officials said tornadoes had hit, although the number of fatalities is unclear

  • Millions fled the state throughout Wednesday as dozens of flash flood, tornado and storm surge warnings were put in place

  • The "extremely dangerous" and "life-threatening" Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, the US National Hurricane Center says

  • It arrived as a category three storm, with warnings of extreme winds and flash flooding, soon after Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the time for safe evacuation had passed

  • Earlier, President Joe Biden said it would be "one of the most destructive hurricanes in a century" and criticised a "reckless" promotion of "outright lies" by Donald Trump about the government's response

  • Milton's arrival comes two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the Gulf Coast as a category four storm, killing at least 225 people across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina

  • Our coverage is now moving to a new page

Florida webcams show Hurricane Milton making landfall

Live Reporting

Edited by Yvette Tan, with Gordon Corera reporting from Tampa and Holly Honderich in Miami

  1. Watch: Floridians hit the road ahead of Milton's arrival

    Thousands of Florida residents have already heeded warnings to get out of the way of Hurricane Milton's path ahead of the storm making landfall on Wednesday.

    Cars could be seen clogging the highway out of Tampa on Monday as Floridians sought refuge away from the coast.

    Huge tailbacks as people try to flee Hurricane Milton

  2. Florida bracing for 'potentially catastrophic' impact of Hurricane Milton

    Matt Spivey
    Live page editor

    People in Florida filling and moving bags of sand to protect them against Hurricane MiltonGetty Images

    US officials warn Hurricane Milton, currently packing ferocious winds of up to 155mph (250km/h), could pose a threat to life as it heads towards Florida.

    The storm is expected to hit the heavily populated city of Tampa Bay with full force on Wednesday as residents in Florida have been told to prepare for the state's largest evacuation effort in years.

    Hurricane Milton comes less than two weeks after the state was hit by Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 225 people with hundreds more remain missing.

    At least 14 of those deaths were in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.

    Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) say "potentially catastrophic" storm surges are possible along coastal areas.

    We'll bring you the latest updates as Hurricane Milton continues to approach.