Hurricane Milton is moving off Florida’s east coast but still causing life-threatening storm surges, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.
Milton started to cross the coast about 5am Thursday (8pm AEDT), with the NHC warning residents from east-central Florida to southern Georgia of hurricane-force winds and gusts for the next few hours.
“Residents are urged to remain in an interior room and away from windows,” it said in a social media post.
Hurricane Milton is moving off Florida’s east coast.Credit: Bloomberg
Heavy rainfall across central and northern Florida could cause “considerable” flash and urban flooding and river flooding, it said.
Off the east coast, Hurricane Leslie has likely peaked, the NHC said.
On Florida’s west coast, all hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued, while a storm surge warning for Tampa Bay has been discontinued.
Milton is moving north-east at about 30km/h and was expected to continue at that pace before heading towards the Bahamas. Maximum winds remain at about 140km/h with higher gusts.
Milton was expected to become an extratropical low by Thursday night (Friday morning AEDT).