PHOTO
TOPSHOT - An old American car passes through a flooded area of Batabano, Mayabeque Province, Cuba, on August 28, 2023, as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches the western tip of the island nation. Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened as it neared Cuba and the abnormally hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, with forecasters predicting it could become a major hurricane before roaring ashore in Florida this week. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP)
Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday, and was bearing down on the Gulf coast of Florida, the US National Hurricane Center said.
"Idalia Now a Hurricane. Expected to Rapidly Intensify Into an Extremely Dangerous Major Hurricane Before Landfall On Wednesday," the weather agency said in a public advisory.