(WALA) – Hurricane Milton continues its rapid intensification and is now a historically strong hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. As of 7 p.m., sustained winds were blowing at 180 miles per hour and barometric pressure dropped to a very low 897 millibars. Milton will remain an extremely strong hurricane overnight and into tomorrow, with possible landfall on the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane.

Storm surge levels could be as high as 15 feet. The storm surge is likely to be very high, even if the winds weaken slightly before landfall. The official forecast calls for Milton to be a category three storm on Wednesday evening. The system is rather small for now. We expect the wind field to grow and expand as it approaches Florida.

Our impact on the ground will be relatively small. We expect there to be a risk of strong rip currents on our beaches until Thursday. We don't expect any rain here. A surface front is expected to move through the area this evening, bringing drier, cooler air to the Gulf Coast.

Highs will be in the low to mid 80s, with lows in the upper 50s and lower 60s through the end of the week.

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