Hurricane Michael set to be STRONGEST storm since 1975 to hit Florida

The huge storm is currently barrelling across the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to smash into the Sunshine State on Wednesday afternoon.

Michael has rapidly gained strength this week and is now forecast to become a major Category 3 hurricane with strong winds of more than 120mph by the time it makes landfall.

Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University, said the predicted intensity of the wind means Hurricane Michael could become the most powerful storm to hit Florida since 1975.

He tweeted: “#Michael is currently forecast by National Hurricane Center (NHC) to have max sustained winds of 125 mph near its time of landfall.

“If that were to verify as its landfall intensity, Michael would tie w/ Eloise (1975) & Pensacola #Hurricane (1882) for strongest winds for Florida Panhandle landfall on record.”

Hurricane Eloise slammed into the Florida panhandle on September 23 1975 bringing with major flooding and causing four deaths.

The Pensacola Hurricane in 1982 smashed into Florida with winds of up to 125mph and triggered landslides and widespread property damage.

The NOAA’s National Hurricane Centre (NHC) today warned its latest data shows Hurricane Michael has strengthened and is continuing its path northward over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Officials have warned the hurricane could cause a life-threatening storm surge as it approaches land.

ens of thousands of people in coastal areas along the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend/Nature Coast have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

But more than 20 million are on alert across five states, with watches or warnings across in place in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina.

An NHC statement said: “The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by

rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.

“The water has the potential to reach the following heights above ground if peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.”

Hurricane-force winds and intense rainfall are also forecast, with Eastern Georgia, the Carolinas, and southern Virginia on high alert for flash flooding.

Some areas could receive between three and six inches of rain in a short period of time, the NHC said.

Florida governor Rick Scott today warned the state had less than a day before the force of the storm would be felt.

He told a news conference: “Hurricane Michael is a monster storm and it keeps getting more dangerous. We’re 12 hours away from seeing impacts.”