Hurricane Milton live updates: Florida residents warned ‘this is the 11th hour’ as Category 4 storm to make landfall

Florida is approaching its “11th hour” with millions of residents urged to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall on Wednesday evening.

While Milton’s intensity continues to fluctuate, and again weakening to a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center has predicted the storm will be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida”.

Despite being downgraded, winds are expected to pick up on Florida’s west coast from this afternoon, the NHC warned.

Federal and state officials have pleaded with those in Milton’s path to evacuate to avoid “catastrophic” winds, up to 18in rainfall and 15ft of storm surge in the worst affected areas, before the major hurricane slams into Florida’s west-central coast.

“This is the 11th hour. If you’re in an evacuation zone, the time to get out is now,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chard Chronister told CNN on Wednesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris warned that even the toughest Floridians won’t weather the “historic” hurricane, she said on The Late Show on Tuesday night. While in a Tuesday briefing, President Joe Biden warned Milton “could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century,” and urged residents in its path to “evacuate now”.

Vice President Kamala Harris issued a stark warning that even toughest Floridians won't withstand Hurricane Milton.

The Democratic presidential nominee appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night.

“The Hurricane that is about to hit Florida is extremely serious. And it is predicted to be historic in proportion, in terms of the damage it will cause. And I know a lot of tough Floridians that have waited out many hurricanes and may think they can do the same with this one,”