(ANSA) - WASHINGTON, 28 SEPTEMBER - Hurricane Ian which will hit West Florida in the afternoon (in the evening in Italy) has strengthened with winds at 155 miles per hour (250km per hour), just 2 miles below category 5, the highest.
This was reported by the US weather service.
Cities such as Naples (21,000 inhabitants) and St. Petersburg (264,000), on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, are being targeted, with 'landfall' (the point of impact) in Charlotte County, while for now the Tampa area seems to have been spared from a collision direct front.
Catastrophic rains are expected, with a sea level rise from 3.6 to 4.9 meters on the coastal areas between Punta Gorda and Fort Myers, which are between Naples and Sarasota.
Over 2.5 million people are under the mandatory evacuation order, although there is no law that can force the inhabitants to leave.
Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, for whom the hurricane is a testing ground not only for re-election in Midterm but also for his likely race to the White House, recently issued his latest warning: "It is now too late to safely evacuate. , it's time to stay sheltered and prepare for the storm ".
(HANDLE).