LIVE UPDATES: Hurricane Milton strengthens back to Cat. 5 storm

Channel 9′s meteorologists are tracking Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida.

See the latest updates below:

5 p.m. update

Milton has strengthened back to a Category 5 major hurricane and continues to move toward the west coast of Florida.

The 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center has winds of 165 mph, making Milton an intense Category 5 major hurricane.

Earlier today, Milton had weakened to a Category 4 system.

A storm surge warning is now in effect for coastal Brevard County, as a storm surge of 3-5 feet will be possible all along the east coast.

Milton is expected to weaken some as it approaches the state on Wednesday, but it is highly likely that it will be a major hurricane at landfall.

The updated track now shows Milton making landfall along the west coast of Florida early Thursday morning. It is then expected to track across Central Florida overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

The threat of a major hurricane strike is likely for a portion of the west coast. Catastrophic storm surges, hurricane-force winds, and flooding rains are all likely.

Milton will have significant impacts on Central Florida. Hurricane-force winds over 74 mph, rainfall of 8-14 inches, and a few tornadoes are becoming likely.

Stay with Channel 9 for updates on Milton.

4:30 p.m. update

The City of Melbourne has issued a local state of emergency.

Osceola County School District said all public schools will be closed Wednesday through Friday.

See the full list here.

4 p.m. update:

Walt Disney World announced theme parks and Disney Springs will be closed.

The theme park said it is likely the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday, Oct. 10.

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will close at 1 p.m.

• Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m.

Photos: Hurricane Milton to impact Florida as major storm

3:25 p.m. update:

Gov. Ron DeSantis is holding another news conference to share updates on preparations for Hurricane Milton.

Watch DeSantis’ full Tuesday afternoon news conference here:

The governor is speaking from the Florida Horse Park in Ocala.

2:35 p.m. update:

Universal Orlando Resort announced Tuesday afternoon that its parks and other attractions will be temporarily closed due to Hurricane Milton.

Officials said Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will be open until 2 p.m. and will be closed for all of Thursday.

Universal said hours of operation are subject to change based on forecast alterations and some attraction and experience availability may be limited on Wednesday.

Universal Volcano Bay waterpark will be closed for all of Wednesday and Thursday.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida will also be canceled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Universal said its hotels will remain open during the storm.

Read: Hurricane Milton: These Florida entertainment spots are closed for inclement weather

2:08 p.m. update:

The National Hurricane Center said a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft recorded that Hurricane Milton has strengthened back to nearly a Category 5 storm.

NHC said Milton now has maximum sustained winds around 155 mph and is moving east-northeast at 8 mph.

Officials said Tuesday is the last full day for Florida residents to get their families and homes ready for the storm.

Millions of people have already evacuated from Florida’s West Coast and more will continue to do so.

1:48 p.m. update:

Florida Highway Patrol reports heavy traffic patterns continue to flow northbound and eastbound on interstate highways in Central Florida.

Parts of northbound I-75 and eastbound I-4 have activated Emergency Shoulder Use (ESU) activity.

The ESU is active in the inside (left) shoulder lanes on northbound I-75 from mile marker 262 near Tampa to mile marker 433 at I-10.

The ESU activity is also open on eastbound I-4 from mile marker 3 near Tampa to mile marker 63 in Osceola County.

“For those wishing to evacuate, the time is now,” a Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said. “Stay calm, drive safe, remain alert and [arrive alive].”

Troopers said they are also continuing to escort fuel tankers to assist with delivery of gasoline supplies and debris removal.

Read: Hurricane evacuation: Helpful apps for finding gas, hotel rooms, traffic routes

12:58 p.m. update:

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will update Orange County’s preparations for Hurricane Milton this afternoon.

The conference will be at 4 p.m.

Demings will be joined by:

12:08 a.m. update:

SeaWorld Orlando said it will temporarily close its Central Florida parks due to Hurricane Milton.

Officials said SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

SeaWorld said the decision was made to ensure the safety of its guests, employees and animals.

Officials said extra precautions will also be in place to ensure the safety of the animals at the parks.

“A dedicated team of animal care experts, including veterinarians, will remain onsite 24/7 to monitor the animals, safely housed in buildings designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. Once weather conditions improve, our recovery team will ensure the habitats are safe for the animals to return,” a SeaWorld spokesperson said.

People looking to return to the parks on Friday should check first to ensure the attractions are open.

Read: Hurricane Milton: These Florida entertainment spots are closed for inclement weather

11:18 a.m. update:

Hurricane Milton is gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico as it continues to move towards Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said Milton now has maximum sustained winds around 150 mph and is moving east-northeast at 9 mph.

Milton could regain Category 5 status Tuesday afternoon and expand in size as it continues its approaches to Florida’s West Coast.

Read: Tampa Bay hasn’t been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921. Milton may be the one

There has not been a major shift in the storm’s track and it is still expected to make landfall around 2 a.m. Thursday near Tampa Bay.

Milton will remain at hurricane strength as it moves over Central Florida.

10:50 a.m. update:

State Attorney Andrew A. Bain will hold a news conference Tuesday to warn people against looting and property theft after the storm.

Bain is planning to speak at 11:30 a.m. from the State Attorney’s Office in Orlando.

“People should be focused on their safety, not worrying about the threat of theft or looting. Anyone caught engaging in looting, burglary or theft during this time will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and there are enhanced penalties for looting under Florida’s current state of emergency order,” said a spokesperson from the State Attorney’s Office.

Channel 9 will have a crew at Bain’s news conference and will provide live coverage on WFTV.

10 a.m. update:

Duke Energy said it has increased its preparations before the landfall of Hurricane Milton in Florida.

The energy company says it has increased its storm resources from 10,000 to 16,000 in Florida.

Duke Energy said it is convening 16,000 power line technicians, vegetation workers, damage assessors and support personnel at The Villages, Suwannee Valley Farmers Market and Richie Brothers Auction.

These staging sites are outside of Hurricane Milton’s projected path, but also close to the impacted areas as soon as possible.

“Hurricane Milton’s intensity is expected to be unlike anything the Tampa Bay area has ever experienced before,” said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. “Duke Energy Florida is preparing to respond accordingly – with an army of resources at the ready – and we strongly advise our customers to use this time to protect their homes and businesses, while helping ensure their family members, friends and neighbors are safe.”

Read: Hurricane Milton: How to stay informed if your power goes out

Duke Energy said crews are prepared to start safe power restoration as soon as weather and other conditions allow.

9:10 a.m. update:

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Tuesday morning to share the latest details on Florida’s preparations for Hurricane Helene.

Watch DeSantis’ full news conference here:

DeSantis said Florida continues to fulfill requests from communities in the potential path of Hurricane Milton.

Hundreds of first responders have been deployed along Florida’s west coast to begin search and rescue operations as soon as the storm passes.

Power restoration resources are being placed in advance of the storm, including 30,000 linemen who are coming to Florida from all over the country.

8:20 a.m. update:

Inmates in Lake County are being used to help fill sandbags for residents preparing for Hurricane Milton.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said inmate crews are filling bags at PEAR Park, Minneola Athletic Complex, and North Lake Regional Park (Umatilla) locations.

Deputies said the inmates were assisting residents that are not capable of filling their own sandbags.

Lake County officials said 14 locations are open for residents to get sandbags.

The county sandbag sites will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until weather conditions become unsafe.

Read: See where you can get sandbags in Central Florida

7:30 a.m. update:

Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference Tuesday morning to share updates on the preparations for Hurricane Milton.

DeSantis is set to speak around 7:45 a.m. from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Director Dave Kerner and Major General John D. Haas Adjutant General of Florida will join DeSantis at the event.

Watch DeSantis’ full Monday afternoon news conference here:

WFTV will have live coverage of the governor’s news conference on Channel 9 and wftv.com.

6:40 a.m. update:

Channel 9 is seeing major traffic slowdowns in western Central Florida as people evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.

Bumper-to-bumper gridlock traffic was seen Early Tuesday morning on I-75 in Pasco County.

A traffic camera near 275 shows thousands of drivers barely moving on northbound I-75 in the Wesley Chapel area.

Watch: Major gridlock traffic on I-75 as people evacuate for Hurricane Milton

5:50 a.m. update:

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said it is partnering with Uber to provide free rides to and from shelters in counties evacuating from Hurricane Milton.

People who qualify can access the rides by opening the Uber app, open their account on the bottom rights, open the “Wallet” and adding the promo code MILTONRELIEF.

More information on state-approved shelters can be found here.

5 a.m. update:

The National Hurricane Center confirmed Hurricane Milton is nearly a Category 5 storm after weakening to a Category 4 overnight.

NOAA officials said Hurricane Milton is still an “extremely powerful” system.

Milton has maximum sustained winds around 155 mph and is moving east-northeast at 12 mph.

NHC said Milton poses an extremely serious threat to Florida, and residents are urged to follow local officials’ orders.

Current forecast timing has Milton making landfall at a major hurricane around 1 a.m. Thursday.

2 a.m. update:

Milton has weakened to a Category 4 storm but remains a powerful major hurricane.

The 2 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center states that Milton’s winds are 155 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane.

Earlier Monday, Milton recorded a central pressure of 987 mb, making it one of the strongest hurricanes in the Gulf on record.

Milton is expected to be a Category 4 or 5 storm through Tuesday, then weaken some as it nears Florida. It is expected to remain a major hurricane at landfall.

Original story:

Hurricane Milton is maintaining a Cat. 5 status with slightly weaker winds.

The 11 p.m. advisory on Oct. 7 from the National Hurricane Center has winds of 165 mph, showing some slight weakening.

Earlier on Monday, Milton recorded a central pressure of 987 mb, making it one of the strongest hurricanes in the Gulf on record.

Hurricane Warnings continue for most of Central Florida, including Metro Orlando, and Hurricane Watches are in effect for Brevard, Volusia, and Flagler counties. Hurricane-force winds are expected area-wide late Wednesday into Thursday.

Read: See where you can get sandbags in Central Florida

Milton is expected to maintain its Category 5 strength through Tuesday, then weaken some as it nears Florida. It is expected to remain a major hurricane at landfall.

The latest track shows Milton making landfall along the west coast of Florida early Thursday morning. It is then expected to track across Central Florida on Thursday.

Read: Hurricane Milton: These shelters are open in Central Florida

The threat of a major hurricane strike is now becoming likely across the west coast of Florida. A catastrophic storm surge and hurricane-force winds are possible along and south of the landfall point.

In Central Florida, the threat for significant impacts continues to increase. Hurricane-force winds over 74 mph, rainfall over 10 inches and storm surge along the east coast of 3-5 feet are all possible.

Stay with Channel 9 for updates on Milton.

Read: Tracking Milton: These schools have announced closures

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.