Hurricane Milton: Florida cities empty as people flee

Hurricane Milton has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, threatening catastrophic damage to Florida’s west coast and resulting in a mass evacuation from the area. Milton suddenly intensified at a phenomenal rate, from a tropical storm into Category 5 hurricane with winds of about 175mph in just over 24 hours over Sunday to Monday, one of the fastest intensifying storms on record. READ MORE: The hurricane swerved close to the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico on Tuesday before passing on towards Florida, where it is expected to strike on Wednesday, with storm surges possibly reaching 15ft high and rainfall up to 18in through Wednesday and Thursday. • Hurricane Milton tracker: ‘if you stay, you will die’ warning in Florida Although the storm slightly weakened, it remained a powerful hurricane and is likely to strike the Florida coast, possibly as a Category 3 hurricane. And coming so soon after the devastation of Hurric