MIAMI (AP) — The National Hurricane Center says data from an air force aircraft indicates that Hermine has strengthened to a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds increasing to near 75 mph.

Hermine's upgrade from tropical storm makes it the fourth hurricane of 2016 in the Atlantic basin.

It's expected to make landfall along Florida's Gulf coast tonight or early tomorrow.

The last hurricane to strike Florida was Hurricane Wilma, which entered the state from along southwest Gulf Coast as a major Category 3 storm on Oct. 24, 2005. It swept across the Everglades and struck highly-populated south Florida, causing 5 deaths in the state and an estimated $23 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL