Tropical Storm Idalia has strengthened into a hurricane ahead of its landfall in the US State of Florida.
According to Al Jazeera Idalia threatens to bring a deadly storm surge and dangerous winds to the Gulf Coast of Florida after lashing Cuba with heavy rain.
A state of emergency had already been issued for Florida before the Tropical Storm strengthened to a hurricane.
Residents of Florida have been loading up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast to prepare for a storm that the National Hurricane Center projected could have sustained winds of up to 193 kilometres per hour.
Idalia was expected to start affecting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late Tuesday with authorities urging residents to wrap up storm preparations by Tuesday morning at the latest.
