Forecasters are urging people in Florida to make preparations or leave their homes today, as the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Milton is a "catastrophic Category 5 hurricane" and will hit Florida later today or early tomorrow as a major storm.

Hurricane Milton became the third-fastest intensifying Atlantic storm on record as it headed towards Florida's west coast, threatening to swamp low-lying areas with a life-threatening storm surge, according to the U.

A record number of tornado warnings were issued Wednesday across South Florida, with Hurricane Milton still hours away from landfall