Hurricane Milton is set to intensify as it heads toward Florida, the NHC said by Reuters

(Reuters) – Hurricane Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify over the next two days and become a major hurricane on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

Currently about 290 miles (465 km) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, maximum sustained winds have increased to nearly 80 mph (130 km/h), Miami forecasters said.

Milton is expected to move north of the Yucatan Peninsula, across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by midweek, the NHC added.