TROPICAL storm Michael strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Monday as it barrelled toward the US Gulf Coast packing maximum sustained winds of 120km per hour, meteorologists said. It's forecast to become a major hurricane sometime Tuesday and should make landfall Wednesday afternoon or evening, likely between Pensacola in the far western Panhandle and Apalachicola, directly south of Tallahassee on the coast. The latest bulletin from NOAA says that the storm is currently bringing “heavy rainfall and strong winds spreading across western Cuba.” The advisory added that Michael will present “risk of life-threatening storm surge, heavy rainfall an dangerous winds increasing for the northeastern Gulf Coast. Evacuation orders are yet to be issued with coastal counties closely monitoring Michael and in talks with officials from the National Weather Service. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Alabama-Florida border to the Suwanee River, with a hurricane watch in place from the Alabama-Florida border to the Mississippi-Alabama border. The hurricane could make landfall as a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale and bring 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) of rain with life-threatening flash flooding, according to forecasters. “This morning I met with local officials and emergency management professionals in Bay County in preparation for Hurricane Michael,” Governor Scott tweeted. “We know that a storm like Michael can be devastating and deadly.”

Florida State University announced it will close from Tuesday through Friday this week. The massive storm is currently grinding north at 7 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
A hurricane watch is issued for the Florida Panhandle as Hurricane Michael begins moving toward the Yucatan Channel.