Tropical Storm Michael has now officially become a hurricane, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
The storm off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula has rapidly strengthened and is expected to strike the Gulf Coast in the Florida Panhandle with potential winds of 100mph.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in 26 counties as the hurricane approaches the state.
Follow live updates below with all the latest on Storm Michael.
Here is a more detailed look at the path of Hurricane Michael:
The National Hurricane Centre will be holding a live broadcast at 11.40am EDT (4.40pm GMT) on Hurricane Michael.
Hurricane Michael is on track to hit the Florida Panhandle midweek as a Category 2 hurricane packing 100 miles per hour (160 kmh) or stronger winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has announced.
Currently over Cuba, the storm is preparing to move over the Gulf of Mexico.
Forecasters say Hurricane Michael will move over very warm waters and could strengthen into winds topping 111mph (178 kph) by Tuesday night.
Michael has now strengthened into a hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.
It is expected to gain further strength, with heavy rainfall and strong winds, as it approaches Florida.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Storm Michael. We'l be bringing you all the latest as the storm is expected to develop into a hurricane later today.
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load.
Additional reporting from Reuters.
