Valerie Jackson loads up an SUV with sandbags ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton at Woerner Turf and Landscaping Supply in Jacksonville, Florida on Oct. 8, 2024. Photo by Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union/USA Today Network via REUTERS

Hurricane Milton revs back up to Category 5 storm

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LIVE MAP: Track the path of Hurricane Milton

MIAMI — Hurricane Milton is again a Category 5 storm as it barrels toward the Florida coastline, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tuesday afternoon.

Milton had previously weakened to a Category 4 storm, but its wind speeds have increased once again past the Category 5 threshold. The storm, located about 480 miles (775 kilometers) from Tampa as of about 5 p.m. EDT, has sustained wind speeds of 165 mph (270 kph), the hurricane center said.

READ MORE: Here's what you should know about Hurricane Milton ahead of landfall in Florida

The hurricane center also extended a storm surge and hurricane warnings on Florida and Georgia's east coasts.

A view through the Dragon Endeavour window shows Hurricane Milton from space, Oct. 8, 2024, in this screengrab from a video obtained by Reuters. NASA/Matthew Dominick/Handout via REUTERS

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Hurricane Milton revs back up to Category 5 storm first appeared on the PBS News website.

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