Hurricane Milton 'matter of life and death', warns Joe Biden, as Florida braces for 'catastrophic impact'

Joe Biden has warned Americans Hurricane Milton volition beryllium “a substance of beingness and death” arsenic the “catastrophic” tempest is expected to marque landfall.

In a little code connected Wednesday evening, Mr Biden said the hurricane "is looking similar the tempest of the century".

Mr Biden cknowledged that immoderate areas person been near "without a infinitesimal to drawback their breath", with Milton coming blistery connected the heels of Hurricane Helene, which wrought chaos conscionable a fortnight ago.

"I cognize it's truly tough, each your belongings, everything you own," helium told Americans.

"But I impulse everyone successful Hurricane Milton's way to travel each information instructions arsenic we caput to the adjacent 24 hours. It's virtually a substance of beingness and death."

As it barreled towards the westbound seashore of Florida connected Wednesday, Hurricane Milton hurled rainfall and gusty winds astatine the Tampa Bay area, and officials sounded urgent warnings for residents to evacuate up of a life-threatening tempest surge.

Florida postulation cameras caught a ample tornado connected the crushed successful Broward County.

The tempest was connected a collision people for the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, location to much than 3 cardinal people, though forecasters said the way could alteration earlier the tempest makes landfall precocious Wednesday night.

The National Hurricane Centre said the storm's way mightiness "wobble", but that the full Tampa Bay portion and points southbound were astatine sedate risk.

Millions of radical on a agelong of much than 300 miles (483 km) of coastline were nether evacuation orders, and authorities issued progressively dire warnings connected Wednesday greeting arsenic the tempest approached.

The celebrated Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which spans the rima of Tampa Bay, closed astir midday connected Wednesday. Other large bridges closed, arsenic well.

"This is it, folks," said Cathie Perkins, exigency absorption manager successful Pinellas County, which sits connected the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay.

"Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to beryllium a knockout. You request to get out, and you request to get retired now."

Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi told CNN that radical who stay connected the obstruction islands successful her region conscionable southbound of Tampa apt would not past the projected 10- to 15-foot tempest surge.

"If you take to stay, marque definite you person a beingness preserver handy," she said.

The tempest was connected a collision people for the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, location to much than 3 cardinal people, though forecasters said the way could alteration earlier the tempest makes landfall precocious Wednesday.

At 8am section clip (2pm successful the UK), the oculus of the tempest was 250 miles (405km) southwest of Tampa.

The tempest somewhat weakened connected Wednesday greeting to a Category 4, the second-highest level, but remained "an highly unsafe large hurricane" with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (249 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

Milton was expected to support hurricane spot arsenic it crossed the Florida peninsula, posing storm-surge information connected the state's Atlantic Coast arsenic well.

While upwind speeds whitethorn driblet further, the size of the tempest was growing, endangering much coastal areas.

Officials including Biden and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned radical successful evacuation zones to get retired oregon hazard death.

"There is precocious assurance that this hurricane is going to battalion a major, large punch and bash an atrocious batch of damage," Governor Ron DeSantis said connected Wednesday.

Trucks person been moving 24 hours a time to wide mounds of debris near down by Helene earlier Milton perchance turns them into unsafe projectiles, Mr DeSantis said.

Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said she would question to Florida connected Wednesday and stay determination aft the tempest to assistance coordinate betterment efforts.

FEMA has moved millions of liters of water, millions of meals and different supplies and unit into the area. None of the further assistance volition detract from betterment efforts for Hurricane Helene, she said.

"I privation radical to perceive from maine directly, FEMA is ready," she said.

About 2.8 per cent of U.S. gross home merchandise is successful the nonstop way of Milton, said Ryan Sweet, main U.S. economist astatine Oxford Economics. Airlines and vigor firms were among the companies opening to halt their Florida operations arsenic they braced for disruptions.

Major Florida taxable parks shuttered up of the storm, with Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld each readying to adjacent their doors aboriginal connected Wednesday.

Mobile homes, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities faced mandatory evacuation.