Hurricane Milton interactive tracker reveals devastating path as it barrels toward Florida

Hurricane Milton continues to gather strength Tuesday as it surges passed Cancún, sustaining wind speeds up to 155 miles per hour on its collision course with Florida.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) described the bruising Category 5 storm as  'potentially catastrophic' for Florida's western coastal communities — with trackers forecasting that Milton will plow northeast before turning sharply east into Tampa. 

Tampa Bay and surrounding communities are bracing for storm surges as high as 15 feet leading to flooding inland as many residents attempt to flee the area amid traffic jams and congestion.

All across the Florida counties along Milton's northeast trajectory, rainfall is expected to reach 5-to-10 inches with some regions likely to face as much as 15 inches.

These heavy rains are expected to bring flash flooding, slowly more persistent 'areal' flooding, overwhelmed storm drain system, and 'moderate to major river flooding,' according to the the World Meteorological Organization.

Weather data visualization firm Ventusky is actively synthesizing meteorological data to chart and predict Hurricane Milton's path of destruction via its tracker, below.

Milton astonished forecasters with its ability to evolve in less than three days from a tropical depression or cyclone with no more than 38 mph wind speeds into a potentially record-setting Category 5 hurricane.

NHC officials noted that there are signs that the hurricane may weaken as it transits the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, downgrading to a still-punishing Category 3 before it makes landfall Wednesday.

'While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,' the NHC warned.

Cities along the west Florida coast, from Spring Hill to the north to Cape Coral in the south — including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Venice — are all set to face the worst of Hurricane Milton's impact as it charges through the state Wednesday.

The worst of the storm's impact, based on Ventusky's modelling, will continue on into the early morning hours Thursday, with the eye of the storm plowing through central Florida before passing its eastern coastline sometime after 5am Eastern.

Tampa is especially vulnerable to the destructive impacts of hurricanes, meaning Milton could be catastrophic, according to Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards in Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.

Dr Godby said this is thanks to a combination of the low-lying water close to Tampa Bay and its dense population and infrastructure.

'Tampa has long been regarded as the most vulnerable metropolitan area in the United States to storm surge flooding,' Dr Godby explained to DailyMail.com

'Direct hurricane strikes on the west coast of Florida are rare, but much of it is low-lying and the relatively shallow water offshore makes it vulnerable to large storm surges.

'The last major hurricane (Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale) to affect the Tampa Bay region made landfall in on 25 October 1921, bringing a storm surge of 3-3.5 metres and winds of 185 km/h that caused losses that today would be $180 million. 

'With Hurricane Milton bearing down on Tampa it is worth noting that the population at that time was around 160,000 and has now swelled to over three million, many living on ground less than three metres above sea level.

'Large numbers of homes, schools, government buildings and critical infrastructure are at risk of flooding and wind damage.'

Florida residents seeking help are urged to call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at 1-800-342-3557 and/or the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.