MIAMI -- The eye of Milton has moved into the Orlando metro area, centered over the Florida Turnpike south of St. Cloud. Flooding from heavy rainfall and power outages are expected in the Orlando and east central Florida areas. Winds are starting to go down in Polk County and the Tampa Bay area.

Here is the 2 am advisory from the NHC:

BULLETIN

Hurricane Milton Intermediate Advisory Number 20A

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL142024

200 AM EDT Thu Oct 10 2024

...VERY HEAVY RAINS AND DAMAGING WINDS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF

CENTRAL FLORIDA...

...FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCIES REMAIN IN EFFECT...

SUMMARY OF 200 AM EDT...0600 UTC...INFORMATION

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LOCATION...28.1N 81.3W

ABOUT 30 MI...45 KM S OF ORLANDO FLORIDA

ABOUT 45 MI...75 KM WSW OF CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...90 MPH...150 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 60 DEGREES AT 16 MPH...26 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...975 MB...28.79 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

--------------------

CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

None.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...

* Florida west coast from Flamingo northward to Anclote River,

including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay

* Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the

St. Johns River

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...

* Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River,

including Tampa Bay

* Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northward

to Ponte Vedra Beach

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* Lake Okeechobee

* Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to the

Palm Beach/Martin County Line

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay

* Lake Okeechobee

* Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach

* Florida west coast from north of Suwanee River to Indian Pass

* Florida east coast south of the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to

Flamingo

* North of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida to Edisto Beach South Carolina

* Extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island, the

Abacos, and Bimini

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening

inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline in

the indicated locations. For a depiction of areas at risk, please

see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic,

available at hurricanes.gov. This is a life-threatening situation.

Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions

to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for

other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow evacuation and other

instructions from local officials.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected

somewhere within the warning area.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are

expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible

within the watch area.

For storm information specific to your area in the United

States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please

monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service

forecast office. For storm information specific to your area

outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by

your national meteorological service.

DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK

----------------------

At 200 AM EDT (0600 UTC), the center of Hurricane Milton was located

inland near latitude 28.1 North, longitude 81.3 West. Milton is

moving toward the east-northeast near 16 mph (26 km/h), and this

general motion is expected to continue through this afternoon,

followed by a turn toward the east tonight. On the forecast track,

the center of Milton will continue to move across the central part

of the Florida during the next few hours, and emerge off the east

coast of Florida around sunrise.

Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph (150 km/h) with higher

gusts. Milton is forecast to maintain hurricane intensity while

crossing Florida this morning. After moving into the Atlantic,

Milton is expected to gradually lose tropical characteristics and

slowly weaken.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the

center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles

(405 km). A sustained wind of 59 mph (95 km/h) and a gust of 76 mph

(122 km/h) was recently reported at a NASA weather station at Cape

Canaveral. A sustained wind of 58 mph (93 km/h) and a gust of 75

mph (121 km/h) was recently reported at Daytona Beach International

Airport. A sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust of 63 mph

(101 km/h was recently reported at Melbourne International Airport.

A sustained wind of 33 mph (53 km/h) and a gust to 54 mph (87 km/h)

was recently reported at Orlando International Airport.

The estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mb (28.79 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

----------------------

Key Messages for Milton can be found in the Tropical Cyclone

Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT4 and WMO header WTNT44 KNHC

and on the web at hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT4.shtml

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the

tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by

rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could

reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated

areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...

Anna Maria Island, FL to Bonita Beach, FL...4-7 ft

Charlotte Harbor...4-7 ft

Anclote River, FL to Anna Maria Island, FL...3-5 ft

Tampa Bay...3-5 ft

Bonita Beach, FL to Flamingo, FL...3-5 ft

Sebastian Inlet, FL to Altamaha Sound, GA...3-5 ft

St. Johns River...2-4 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to

the south of the landfall location, where the surge will be

accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding

depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle,

and can vary greatly over short distances. For information

specific to your area, please see products issued by your local

National Weather Service forecast office.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge

inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm

Surge Graphic, available at

hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?peakSurge.

RAINFALL: Rainfall amounts of 8 to 14 inches, with localized totals

up to 18 inches, are expected across central to northern portions of

the Florida Peninsula today. This rainfall will continue

to bring the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and

urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding.

For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with

Hurricane Milton, please see the National Weather Service Storm

Total Rainfall Graphic, available at

hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk

graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?ero.

WIND: Hurricane conditions are occurring within the hurricane

warning area in Florida. Hurricane conditions are possible in the

hurricane watch area through midday today. Tropical storm

conditions in the tropical storm warning area in Florida and will

spread to the Georgia and South Carolina coasts later this morning.

Tropical storm conditions are expected in portions of the

northwestern Bahamas later today.

TORNADOES: A tornado or two is possible this morning over parts of

central and eastern Florida.

SURF: Swells generated by Milton are expected to continue to affect

much of the Gulf Coast today and along the southeastern U.S.

coast during the next day or two. These swells are likely to cause

life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult

products from your local weather office.

Photo: NHC

Mel Taylor