Idalia strengthens into Category 3 hurricane
Idalia strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday as maximum sustained wind speeds reached 120 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
"Idalia rapidly intensifies into a major hurricane," the National Weather Service warned in its latest advisory.
The storm is forecast to strengthen further, becoming a Category 4 hurricane before it makes landfall later Wednesday morning on Florida's Big Bend coast, north of Tampa.
"Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today," the National Weather Service said.
-ABC News' Asia James