PREVIEW

Hurricane Milton is barrelling towards the west coast of Florida while driven by swirling winds of around 180 mph. Astronaut Matthew Dominick took timelapse footage of the Category 5 hurricane while aboard a capsule docked with the International Space Station. The NOAA's Hurricane hunters also flew their plane, nicknamed "Miss Piggy" through Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico. They endured a bumpy ride while flying through the storm but gained vital data that will help scientists unravel its secrets. The hurricane is on a path toward Florida's central west coast, including the Tampa Bay area where mass evacuations have seen Florida's highways filled with those fleeing its potentially historic impact. Hurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying hurricanes ever recorded when it intensified from a tropical storm on Monday. It is one of three hurricanes that formed in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico in the second week of October - the first time that has been recorded in the 10th month.