Warnings to flee as Hurricane Milton begins to lash Florida

A person walks under light rain ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton (Julio Cortez/AP)

Hurricane Milton is hurling rain and gusty winds at the Tampa Bay area on its steady and potentially catastrophic march toward the west coast of Florida, where officials sounded urgent warnings for residents to evacuate.

The National Hurricane Centre stressed that it was not certain exactly where Milton’s centre would come ashore on Wednesday night because the storm’s path might “wobble”, but that the entire Tampa Bay region and points south were at grave risk.