Tropical Storm Milton is intensifying with the risk of "life-threatening impacts" increasing for Florida's west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Milton grew more powerful and gained hurricane status Sunday as it rolled through the Gulf of Mexico on a track that imperils areas of the Florida Peninsula still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

As of 5 a.m. Sunday, Hurricane Kirk was located about 1,270 miles west of the Azores moving north-northeast at 23 mph with sustained winds of 105 mph. That keeps Kirk a Category 2 hurricane, having lost steam since it reached Category 4 level earlier this week and becoming the season’s third major hurricane.