Hurricane Milton hits Florida - USA, causing a series of 'sky monsters'

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale but is still a strong storm.

ABC News has just reported that Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida at 8:30 p.m. on October 9 (local time, or 7:30 a.m. this morning, October 10, Vietnam time) as a Category 3 storm, with winds of 193 km/h.

Earlier forecasts had predicted that Hurricane Milton would make landfall as a Category 4 storm.

Although the storm has weakened to a Category 3, it is growing in size and will remain an "extremely dangerous major hurricane ," according to Reuters .

NHC said that as of 5:00 p.m. on October 9 (local time), Hurricane Milton was approaching Florida, only 275 km southwest of Orlando, with winds near the storm's center at 195 km/h.

"There is potential for some variation in intensity as Milton moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane by the time it reaches the west-central Florida coast," the NHC forecast .

Wind and rain in Bradenton, Florida, on October 9. (Photo: CNN)

Strong waves crash onto the shore of Tampa, Florida, on October 9. (Photo: CNN)

Bringing heavy rain and winds across the region, Hurricane Milton also caused a series of "supercells " - dubbed "sky monsters" ( a type of very strong thunderstorm with a particularly complex structure, which can create tornadoes ) to sweep across southern Florida.

The National Weather Service in Miami observed at least four tornadoes, including a "multi-loop tornado ," in the early afternoon, as meteorologists reported storm surges beginning to move in along the southwest Florida coast.

As a result, in parallel with the storm and storm surge warnings that had been issued in many locations earlier, authorities issued tornado warnings in many cities.

A house in Fort Myers, Florida, devastated by storms caused by Hurricane Milton. (Photo: Reuters).

A hurricane warning is in effect for Florida's west coast from Bonita Beach north to the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay, and the state's east coast, from the St. Lucie-Martin county line north to Ponte Vedra Beach.

The threat of storm surge is a major concern for Florida's west coast. In addition to the hurricane warning, a storm surge warning is in effect from Flamingo north to Yankeetown, including Port Charlotte and Tampa Bay. Additionally, a storm surge warning is in effect for Florida's east coast.

A security camera captured the moment a tornado passed through a home in Fort Myers, Florida. (Video: X).

Image of a tornado hitting Wellington, Florida before Hurricane Milton arrives. (Video: X).

Waves are also rising in southwest Florida, with some areas forecast to see waves of more than 10 feet (3 meters) overnight. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a wave of more than 28 feet (8.5 meters) near the storm's center.

Hurricane Milton could cause sea levels to rise by 2.7 to 4 metres in many areas and bring rainfall of 150 to 300 mm. Some locations could even record rainfall of up to 450 mm.

Hurricane Milton is expected to maintain its intensity as it moves across the Florida peninsula and threatens other states on the US East Coast.

As Milton approaches Florida, forecasters are also concerned about the potential for a new storm to form in the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three other systems in the Atlantic that could potentially form into a new storm in the next 48 hours.