Hurricane Milton was still a powerful Category 4 Tuesday morning storm as it remained on track to make landfall on Florida's western coast by Wednesday night.

Hurricane Milton strengthened rapidly in the southern Gulf of Mexico on Monday as it skirted the northern edge of the Yucatan peninsula, home to tourist hotspots and cargo ports, with a strike expected on Florida this week.

Milton has increased to a Category 2 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida coast, National Hurricane Center says

Salvage works remove debris from Hurricane Helene flooding along the Gulf of Mexico Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Crews are working to remove the debris before Hurricane Milton approaches Florida's west coast. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Residents and tourists in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula were bracing as Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 storm on Monday on a path toward Florida.

Residents and tourists in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula were bracing as Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 storm on Monday on a path toward

Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday, October 7. The center of Milton is expected to move near the Yucatán Peninsula, toward the Gulf Coast. Milton brought heavy rain and intense lightning to Cancún and the surrounding area as it approached.

October 07, 2024 Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 storm on Monday, October 7. The center of Milton is expected to move near the Yucatan Peninsula, toward the Gulf Coast. Milton brought heavy rain and intense lightning to Cancun and the surrounding area as it approached.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane. Its dangerous eye and eyewall could impact areas from Cedar Key to Naples, including Tampa and Fort Myers.