Hurricane Milton strengthened rapidly in the southern Gulf of Mexico on Monday as it skirted the northern edge of the Yucatan peninsula, home to tourist hotspots and cargo ports, with a strike expected on Florida this week.

Life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast this week with the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which was upgraded Monday afternoon into a Category 5 hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane Milton intensifies as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. What we know about the potentially devastating hurricane.