PREVIEW

This video shows NOAA Hurricane hunters flying their plane, nicknamed "Miss Piggy," through Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday (08October2024).

The hunters braved the hurricane’s turbulence to collect data on the storm - which is on track to hit Florida’s west coast late on Wednesday.

Hurricane Milton reached the powerful Category 5 storm for a second time early on Wednesday after briefly dipping in strength. It is one of the fastest developing storms recorded having gone from a mere tropical storm to winds topping 180 mph in under a day.

It 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.