Milton Tracker: Updates on the progress of the storm and power outages

Milton is a post-tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest report.

The post-tropical cyclone had sustained winds of 75 mph at the time of the center's update Thursday afternoon (Eastern Time). Follow our reporting here.

Trace Milton's path

Track power outages

Milton's damaging winds caused power outages along the storm's path.

Where did it rain?

Where is there flooding?

River gauges managed by the National Water Prediction Service indicate flooding throughout the state of Florida.

Where were the strong winds?

Analyzing sensor data can help estimate where a storm's winds are circulating and where they are strongest. Here's a snapshot shortly after Milton landed.

Milton will be the 13th named storm to form in the Atlantic in 2024.

In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted there would be 17 to 25 named storms this year, an above-average number.

This season follows an overly active year with 20 named storms – including an early storm that was later given the official name “Unnamed.” It was the eighth consecutive year that the average was exceeded by 14 named storms. Only one hurricane, Idalia, made landfall in the United States.

Typically, the El Niño pattern that prevailed last season would have suppressed hurricanes and reduced the number of storms in a season. But in 2023, warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic weakened El Niño's usual effect of thwarting storms.

The warm ocean temperatures that fueled last year's season were even warmer at the start of this season, boosting forecasters' confidence that there would be more storms this year. The increased sea surface temperatures could also intensify storms faster than usual.

To make matters worse, last year's El Niño pattern is also weakening, most likely creating a more suitable atmosphere for storms to develop and intensify.

Hurricanes require a calm environment to form, and in the Atlantic, a strong El Niño increases wind shear – a change in wind speed and/or direction with height – which affects a storm's ability to merge. Without El Niño this year, clouds are more likely to reach heights high enough to sustain a strong hurricane.