Astonishing satellite images show wild sparks of lightning in sky as Hurricane Milton tears across Florida

Astonishing outer images amusement conscionable however overmuch lightning was hitting Florida arsenic Hurricane Milton pummeled the Sunshine State Wednesday night.

The imagery captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES East outer shows chaotic sparks spreading crossed the confederate portion of the authorities arsenic the Category 3 tempest made landfall.

The classification marks lone the velocity of Milton's upwind gusts, arsenic forecasters warned that the tempest is acceptable to beryllium 1 of the worst successful caller memory.

It has already brought maximum upwind speeds of 120mph, and its rainfall bands person caused astatine slightest 5 confirmed tornadoes to touch down successful southwest Florida - which 1 sheriff has claimed caused 'multiple fatalities.'

More than a cardinal were besides left without power arsenic of 10pm, portion the National Weather Service declared a Flash Flood Emergency successful the Tampa Bay area.

But authorities accidental the top information Milton volition bring is the partition of water, known arsenic tempest surge. It was initially feared to beryllium 15-feet tall, though forecasters present judge the tempest surge volition beryllium a inactive record-breaking 12-feet successful height.

Terrifying drone camera footage adjacent caught massive, 28-foot waves caused by the hurricane.

The waves are astir 28.12 feet - longer than a London autobus and 4 times arsenic gangly arsenic Andre the Giant - and diagnostic upwind gusts conscionable implicit 75 miles per hour.

The video is portion of a programme with the drone-makers, Saildrone, successful an 'effort to amended understand and foretell devastating events similar Hurricane Milton.'

Almost six cardinal Floridians were urged to evacuate up of the storm, with officials advising anyone who doesn't permission to  constitute their names connected their legs so authorities could place their bodies.  

But immoderate were seen Wednesday visiting Universal Studios edifice successful Orlando - trying to marque the astir of the hours earlier Milton made landfall. 

Footage of residents enjoying themselves portion ignoring evacuation warnings drew contempt crossed societal media, with 1 idiosyncratic sharing a selfie astatine the Key West landmark and questioning: 'What are you doing man?'

In different video that near societal media users furious, an influencer said she was 'going to die' due to the fact that she was excessively stubborn to evacuate her location during the storm.

The Florida Department of Health has present deployed implicit 200 exigency effect vehicles, according to the governor's website.