Hurricane Idalia strengthens en route to Florida, expected to land as Category 4 storm

A man places plywood in front of a store ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, Florida, U.S., August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello

CEDAR KEY, Florida (Reuters) -Hurricane Idalia gained fury on Tuesday as it crawled toward Florida's Gulf Coast, forcing mass evacuations in low-lying areas expected to be swamped when the powerful storm, forecast to reach Category 4 intensity, strikes on Wednesday morning.

Idalia was generating maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph) by late Tuesday night - at the upper end of Category 2 - and its force will ratchet higher before it slams ashore, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) projected.