Hurricane Milton strengthening as it heads towards Florida

FLORIDA Hurricane Milton is intensifying on its path towards Florida possibly reaching Category 4 power and may spark the largest evacuation in seven years as it aims for the state's Gulf Coast and Tampa.

The storm, churning across the southern Gulf of Mexico, has the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage and heap more misery on a region still reeling from Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

Milton's top winds reached 155kmh, the US National Hurricane Centre said in an advisory at 5am Eastern time. That makes it a Category 2 storm, though it is set to become a major hurricane later in the day and approach the west coast of Florida by Oct 9.

The centre of the storm was located about 1,207km west-southwest of Tampa early on Oct 7. Maximum wind speeds could eventually hit 233kmh.

Even if the storm weakens a bit before making landfall, it will have enough power to tear roofs off buildings, snap trees and cause long-lasting power disruptions.

Hurricane and storm surge watches are in place for large stretches of the state's Gulf Coast, while Mexico has issued a hurricane warning for part of the Yucatan Peninsula.