Hurricane Milton set to intensify as it heads toward Florida, NHC says

(Reuters) – Hurricane Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

Currently, about 290 miles (465 km) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, its maximum sustained winds have increased to near 80 mph (130 km/h), the Miami-based forecaster said.

Milton is forecast to move north of the Yucatan Peninsula, across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by midweek, NHC added.

(Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Porter)