Category 5 Hurricane Milton is heading towards Florida. Will Indiana see results?

Hurricane Milton continues to move toward Florida’s west coast Monday before expected to make landfall midweek. While meteorologists predict 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall in the Sunshine State, the Hoosier State probably won’t get a drop.

Milton’s path differs from that of Hurricane Helene, whose remnants flowed north into Indiana less than two weeks ago, causing heavy rainfall, tree damage and widespread power outages across the state.

This time around, given the latest hurricane forecast, things aren’t looking so wet for Indiana, at least for the foreseeable future.

“Central Indiana looks likely to remain dry for the next 7 to 10 days,” said meteorologist Greg Melo of the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. “There is a slight chance we will see some showers and another front next Sunday, but it will likely remain dry.”

Here’s what we know about Hurricane Milton as of Monday.

Milton strengthens into a Category 5 hurricane

Hurricane Milton, which formed over the weekend in the Gulf of Mexico, intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm on Monday morning.

Winds blowing at 120 mph across the Gulf heading for Florida just weeks after Helene devastated the southeastern U.S., with hurricane warnings and warnings issued across the state, with some areas potentially seeing surge life-threatening storm. , heavy rains and destructive winds.

According to USA TODAY, Milton’s intensity is expected to continue in the coming days. Although some weakening is expected before the system reaches the coast, Milton “will still likely be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida,” said Jack Beven, a hurricane center specialist.

Hurricane Milton will hit Florida devastated by Helene

Hurricane Milton was located about 700 miles southwest of Tampa early Monday morning, moving east-southeast at 8 miles per hour. According to USA TODAY, many Florida counties are under evacuation and most are under a state of emergency issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Mexico also issued a hurricane warning for the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Celestun to Rio Lagartos.

Some areas of the state could receive 5 to 10 inches of rain, with up to 15 inches in some isolated communities. A storm surge of 8 to 3 meters is also possible in Tampa and nearby coastal areas.

Hurricane Milton’s path

Hurricane Milton spaghetti models

Weather forecast for central Indiana, according to the NWS

Although Hurricane Milton passes through the Gulf of Mexico and then enters the Atlantic, its impact on Indiana’s weather appears to be negligible.

Monday: Sunny, with a high around 70. Northwest wind around 8 mph.

Monday night: Clear, with an average temperature around 45. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high around 72. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday night: Clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday night: Clear, with an average temperature around 47. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high around 72. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday night: Cloudy, with a low around 46. Light and variable winds.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.

Friday evening: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. Southwest wind around 6 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with highs near 80.

Saturday night: Mostly light, with a low around 55.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high around 77.

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John Tufts discusses the latest news from IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.