Tropical Storm Michael is on track to hit the US state of Florida midweek as a Category 2 hurricane packing 161 km/h or stronger winds, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) says.
The tropical storm is expected to swell into a Category 1 hurricane as soon as Monday night or early Tuesday as it rolls into the US Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in more than 20 counties on Sunday and has put more than 5,000 National Guard soldiers on alert.
"Our state understands how serious tropical weather is and how devastating any hurricane of tropical storm can be," Scott said in a statement.
He advised Gulf Coast residents to prepare for possible evacuation orders.
Michael battered parts of Mexico and Cuba with powerful winds and drenching rains on Sunday and into early Monday as it churned in the Caribbean.
The storm packed maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h as it moved north on a path between Cozumel in southeastern Mexico and the western tip of Cuba, the hurricane center said.
Outer bands from Michael are expected produce as much as 10 cm of rain through Tuesday in the Florida Keys, one of several areas in the state devastated by Hurricane Irma last year.
After hitting Florida, the storm is then forecast to move northeast along the Atlantic Coast and batter the Carolinas, which are still recovering from Hurricane Florence last month.
That hurricane killed at least 50 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Australian Associated Press
