Hurricane Michael tracker latest: When will Hurricane Michael make landfall?

Hurricane Michael is bearing down on Florida as people of the Sunshine state prepares for a direct hit from the potentially deadly hurricane.

The massive storm strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on Tuesday after it rapidly intensified on Monday and gained hurricane status.

Additional strengthening is expected, and Michael is forecast to be a major hurricane with sustained winds of more than 111mph at landfall in Florida.

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When will Hurricane Michael make landfall?

Hurricane Michael is predicted to make landfall somewhere on the Florida Panhandle by Wednesday afternoon.

According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) the centre of Michael is expected to move inland over the Florida Panhandle or Florida Big Bend area, and then move northeastward across the southeastern US Wednesday night and Thursday.

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

WHERE IS HURRICANE MICHAEL NOW?

The storm will create potentially life-threatening wind conditions from the Alabama-Florida state line all the way east to the Suwannee River.

Regardless of the eventual track and intensity of the monstrous hurricane, life-threatening storm surge is expected along portions of the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend/Nature Coast.

So far tens of thousands have been told to evacuate coastal areas in nine counties as the life-threatening monster storm is creeping closer with maximum sustained winds of 100mph.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles.

The weather system is currently located about 395 miles south of Panama City, Florida and 365 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida.

Michael is moving toward the north-northwest near 12 mph as it barrels across the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The massive storm is taking an aim at a 300-mile long coastline in the southern US and a state of emergency alert has been declared in more than 100 counties from Alabama through the Florida Panhandle.

The Florida governor declared a state of emergency on Monday, urging people in affected areas to evacuate and not take any chances.

Speaking about the potential for a 12ft storm surge to hit the coast, he said: “No one’s going to survive. Don’t take a chance.”

A summary of warnings and watches in effect can be viewed HERE

The NHC also reported as much as one foot of rain is forecast across Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

Michael is potentially the most powerful storm to strike the Florida Panhandle in at least a decade.

People are urged to closely monitor orders and advice given by local authorities and don’t take any chances as the storm approaches mainland.

Weakening is expected after landfall as Hurricane Michael moves through southeastern parts of the US.