Hurricane Milton makes landfall, downgraded to Category 2 storm on destructive path toward Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. - Hurricane Milton made landfall south of Tampa Bay Wednesday night as a "dangerous" Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center said. Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida, at 8:31 p.m. Watch live coverage in the video player above.

Milton had estimated winds of 120 mph at landfall – making it a major Cat. 3 storm. As of 11 p.m., Milton had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 105 mph and was moving at 16 mph. The center of Milton was approximately 75 miles southwest of Orlando and 100 miles west-southwest of Cape Canaveral. Milton's minimum central pressure was at 960 MB.

Hurricane Milton makes Fla. landfall as Cat 3 hurricane

FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Noah Bergren was live on air as Hurricane Milton made landfall west of Siesta Key as a major Category 3 hurricane.

Storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding are occurring across the Florida Peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said.

Where is Hurricane Milton now?

As of 11 p.m., Hurricane Milton was about 75 miles southwest of Orlando and was expected to reach the Orlando metro area around 4 a.m.

How much rain is expected from Hurricane Milton?

Hurricane Milton is expected to bring 3-6 inches of rain south of the storm's center, but north of the center up to 10 or more inches of rain is forecast.

How strong will the wind be from Hurricane Milton?

The Orlando metro area will begin to experience stronger winds after midnight with gusts between 80-100 mph. The coastal counties will see stronger winds arrive after 2 a.m. and parts of Volusia and Flalgler counties could experience gusts of 100 mph or greater.