British flights to and from Florida have been cancelled as the state braces for what President Joe Biden has warned could be the worst storm in a century to hit the state.
Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm with winds of 165mph, could make landfall on Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people.
It has brought widespread disruption with 11 counties in the Florida Gulf area under evacuation orders and airports shuttering operations.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) suspended operations at 2pm GMT on Tuesday, while Orlando International Airport, the state’s busiest airport, said it would also cease operations on Wednesday morning.
Tui said it expected its flying programme “to be extremely disrupted”, cancelling one flight from Gatwick to Orlando on Wednesday.
Virgin Atlantic said it had also cancelled numerous flights because of “adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton”, with a state of emergency declared in Florida.
The airline cancelled two flights on Tuesday between Heathrow and Tampa, and nine on Wednesday, including ones between Manchester and Orlando.
A further 10 flights have been called off on Thursday, involving Heathrow, Manchester, Orlando and Tampa.
Two flights from Edinburgh to Orlando have been delayed by 23 hours, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday.
Almost 700 US flights had been cancelled by Tuesday afternoon, with hundreds more expected not to run on Wednesday, according to flight tracking data provider FlightAware.
It has left some Britons trapped in the Sunshine State as Hurricane Milton bears down - with Mr Biden warning: “This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century.”
Among those was Racheal Harris, 36, who is sheltering in place at her Orlando hotel with her husband Jamie, 34, and their three-year-old son, Maximus.
The family, from Colchester, Essex, told the MailOnline how they had been advised to stay in their room as the storm approaches, and that they were debating whether to put a mattress against the window to prevent flood water coming in.
Ms Harris, who was due to fly home on Thursday before the airports shut, told the publication: “All I can do is trust the hotel right now.
“I can't panic about it, because if I panic my son panics. It's a British thing - we just go with the flow.
“I just want to get my room moved from the ground floor. I think that's the thing that's playing on my mind at the moment.”
The family are among a party of nine, including friends, who are stuck in the state as the storm approaches.
Other Britons in the area have shared their experience on social media, with one comparing empty shelves in supermarkets as Floridians evacuate as “like coronavirus times.”
Holidaymaker Kathryn, who shared her story on TikTok under the handle @scouseblu, said: "I cannot believe the extent of this hurricane, bare in mind this is our second hurricane during this holiday and apparently Milton is meant to hit a lot worse than Helene.”
Julie Welch, who moved from London to Florida, said she was feeling both “scared and anxious” about the impact of the hurricane on her community in Sarasota, as well as the devastation in could wreak on Florida’s islands.
“The last hurricane was two weeks ago which caused lots of damage, but this is going to be even worse,” she said. “I’m very anxious about what we’re going to be coming back to - the islands might not even have any buildings left on them anymore.
“And how long is the power going to be out for? It’s really making me question whether I should stay in Florida [when I return].”
State Governor Ron DeSantis said urged those in the storm’s path to evacuate, with those who defy evacuations orders unable to rely on the emergency services if an incident arises.
"You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away," Mr DeSantis told a news conference.
"You can evacuate tens of miles. You do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away."
Milton is forecast to cross central Florida and to dump as much as 46 centimetres of rain while heading toward the Atlantic Ocean, according to US forecasters.
That path would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas.
Britain’s Foreign Office said travellers should monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Centre website and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.
It added that they should check with their airline or travel agent about possible disruption to flights or airport services.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Milton towards the United States.
“We urge all British nationals in Florida or travelling to the region to follow travel advice and guidance from local authorities.”
