MIAMI -- Hurricane forecasters are warning that today is the last full day to either prepare for Milton or evacuate, along Florida's west coast. Storm surge and hurricane warnings are posted from the Suwannee to the Everglades and are being added on Florida's east coast.

At the 11 a.m. update, Milton has top winds of (150). It's centered (520) Miles southwest of Tampa heading

ENE at 9 mph.

Here's the full update.

...MILTON FORECAST TO RETAIN MAJOR HURRICANE STATUS AND EXPAND IN

SIZE WHILE IT APPROACHES THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA...

...TODAY IS THE LAST FULL DAY FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS TO GET THEIR

FAMILIES AND HOMES READY AND EVACUATE IF TOLD TO DO SO BY LOCAL

OFFICIALS...

SUMMARY OF 1000 AM CDT...1500 UTC...INFORMATION

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

LOCATION...22.7N 88.4W

ABOUT 130 MI...205 KM NE OF PROGRESO MEXICO

ABOUT 520 MI...835 KM SW OF TAMPA FLORIDA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...150 MPH...240 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...ENE OR 65 DEGREES AT 9 MPH...15 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...929 MB...27.44 INCHES

WATCHES AND WARNINGS

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CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:

The Storm Surge Warning has been extended southward along the

east coast of Florida to Port Canaveral.

The government of the Bahamas has issued a Tropical Storm Watch

for the extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama

Island, the Abacos, and Bimini.

SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...

* West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee

River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay

* East coast of Florida from Port Canaveral northward to the mouth

of the St. Mary's River, including the St. Johns River.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...

* Celestun to Rio Lagartos

* Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the

Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay

* Florida east coast from the Indian River/St. Lucie County Line

northward to Ponte Vedra Beach

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...

* South of Port Canaveral to Sebastian Inlet

* Mouth of the St. Mary's River to Edisto Beach

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche

* Dry Tortugas

* Lake Okeechobee

* Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach

* Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the

St. Mary's River

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Rio Lagartos to Cancun

* All of the 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 the mouth of the Suwanee River to

Indian Pass

* Florida east coast south of the Indian River/St. Lucie County

Line to Flamingo

* Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the

St. Mary's River

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...

* Coast of Georgia and South Carolina from north of the mouth of the

St. Marys River to South Santee River, 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,

during the next 36 hours 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 warning is typically issued

36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of

tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside

preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life

and property should be rushed to completion.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are

expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-

threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the

coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.

For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather

Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at

hurricanes.gov.

A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible

within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours

before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force

winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or

dangerous.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are

possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.

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 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Milton was

located near latitude 22.7 North, longitude 88.4 West. Milton is

moving toward the east-northeast near 9 mph (15 km/h). A turn

toward the northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected

to begin later today and continue through Thursday. On the

forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern

Gulf of Mexico and approach the west-central coast of Florida

through Wednesday. The center is likely to make landfall along the

west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday night, and move

east-northeastward across central Florida through Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph (240 km/h) with higher

gusts. Milton is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson

Hurricane Wind Scale. While fluctuations in intensity are expected,

Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane

through landfall in Florida.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the

center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles

(165 km).

The minimum central pressure based on dropsonde data is 929 mb

(27.44 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: A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 2

to 4 feet above ground level along the northern coast of the

Yucatan Peninsula in areas of onshore winds. Near the coast, the

surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

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...

Anclote River, FL to Englewood, FL...10-15 ft

Tampa Bay...10-15 ft

Englewood, FL to Bonita Beach, FL...6-10 ft

Charlotte Harbor...6-10 ft

Yankeetown, FL to Anclote River, FL...5-10 ft

Bonita Beach, FL to Chokoloskee, FL...4-7 ft

Suwannee River, FL to Yankeetown, FL...3-5 ft

Chokoloskee, FL to Flamingo, FL...3-5 ft

Port Canaveral, FL to Altamaha Sound, GA...3-5 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 5 to 12 inches, with localized totals

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

the Florida Peninsula through Thursday. This rainfall brings the

risk of life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with

moderate to major river flooding.

Milton will also produce rainfall totals 2 to 4 inches across the

Florida Keys through Thursday.

Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals

around 6 inches, are expected across northern portions of the

Yucatan Peninsula.

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 and tropical storm conditions will continue in the

warning areas in Mexico today.

Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area

across Florida beginning late Wednesday through early Thursday.

Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in the warning area

on the west coast of Florida Wednesday morning, spreading across

the peninsula and reaching the east coast Wednesday evening.

Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area

on the Georgia and South Carolina coasts on Thursday.

Tropical storm conditions are possible in the extreme northwestern

Bahamas on Thursday.

TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible over central and southern

Florida beginning late tonight and continuing through Wednesday

night.

SURF: Swells generated by Milton are expected to continue to

affect much of the Gulf Coast within the next day or two, and are

likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Please consult products from your local weather office.

Photo: NHC