Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the Florida coastline, Milton has strengthened rapidly into a major hurricane on a path toward the state. The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.

Forecasters predict Hurricane Milton is on a path to make landfall around the Tampa Bay area Wednesday as a major hurricane.

Warnings over Hurricane Milton come just 10 days after Hurricane Helene - the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005 - pummelled the US south-east, killing at least 225 people. Hundreds more are missing. At least 14 of those deaths were in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.