Hurricane Milton has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, and is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a storm surge warning for Florida's Gulf Coast, with potential storm surges of 8 to 12 feet, and a hurricane watch is in place from Chokoloskee to the Suwannee River.

As many as 15 million people are under flood watches across the Florida Peninsula, with 11 million at risk for tropical tornadoes, and widespread evacuation orders are likely.

Hurricane Milton is forecast to weaken to a strong Category 3 hurricane before landfall, and is expected to bring up to 15 inches of rain, causing likely flash flooding.

The Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for the Yucatan Peninsula coast, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties in preparation for the storm.