Hurricane Milton live updates: warnings of major flash flooding as more than 2 million without power in Florida

A weakening but still tremendously powerful Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida’s west coast on Wednesday night as a category 3, leaving more than 2.6m homes without power, while bringing “catastrophic” winds likely to cause significant property damage

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 100 mph (160 kph) as it hovered near Fort Meade, about 45 miles (72 km) east of Tampa, early Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said, Associated Press has reported. The hurricane is now reported to be at category 1 level, with 90 mph winds. It is located 30 miles off Orlando

The National Weather Service says it has received reports of multiple collapsed cranes, with no reports of injuries, and the Tampa Bay Rays stadium has lost its roof. CNN has reported there have been “multiple fatalities” in St Lucie County although details are unclear

About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane even made landfall, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management said

St Petersburg has seen 16 inches of rain since the storm began – half of which fell in just two hours

President Joe Biden has spoken to officials in Florida, telling told each of the leaders he spoke to they should call him directly if they need additional assistance on rescue, response, and recovery efforts

Milton is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the US this year, CNN reports, more than from 2021 to 2023 combined. It was the second direct hit on Florida in 12 days, after Hurricane Helene’s deadly rampage through the state’s panhandle towards Georgia and the Carolinas beginning on 27 September