The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has been monitoring the dangerous weather system closely, and since their previous update at 1am local time (6am BST) to the most recent advisory at 4am local time (10am BST) Michael has gained an extra 10mph on its wind speeds.
The hurricane is due to impact land late afternoon local time or evening time BST.
However, before the Category 4 hurricane makes landfall, it could strengthen yet again.
Brian McNoldy, a storm researcher at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explained why strengthening is possible.
Mr McNoldy told Mashable: “Hurricane Michael is primed for additional strengthening prior to landfall because the key players in the atmosphere and ocean are all conducive for it.”
A key player in the case of Michael is wind shear or winds that impact hurricanes and weaken or sometimes dissipate storms completely.
With these winds not present, nothing is affecting Michael’s barrelling winds as it tracks towards Florida.
Mr McNoldy said the lack of wind shear “helps the storm remain intact, upright, and symmetric.”
He added that there are also no masses of dry air around the lower or middle areas of the atmosphere where Hurricane Michael is tracking toward.
This is something that again means no weakening elements are affecting Michael, as if hurricanes suck dry air into their system it can “wrap into the circulation and choke off the thunderstorm activity,” according to Mr McNoldy.
As of the NHC’s latest update, Hurricane Michael was located approximately 140 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida and 130 miles southwest of Apalachicola, Florida.
The storm system is moving at a speed of 13mph, with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 185miles from the centre.
Dangerous storm surges will impact the Florida coastline, with waves reaching as high as 13ft in some areas.
Mandatory evacuations are in place along the Florida Panhandle, where a “life-threatening” surge of ocean water could flood across more than 325 miles of coastline.
A Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is one that has wind speeds between 130-156mph.
According to the scale, Category 4 hurricanes cause catastrophic damage to well-built homes, as well as uprooting trees and displacing power lines.
Residents can expect that power outages could occur for weeks or possibly months as downed trees and power poles isolate some areas.
Most of the area impacted by a Category 4 hurricane will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
When Hurricane Michael makes land it will be the strongest hurricane to hit the Florida Panhandle since records began in 1851.