Florida is bracing for another hurricane.

As at 7pm on Sunday, Milton had maximum sustained winds near 140 km/h with higher gusts.

It is forecast to intensify rapidly during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday.

The National Hurricane Centre says on the forecast track, Milton is expected to move north of the Yucatan Peninsula and across the southern Gulf of Mexico on Monday and Tuesday.

It will then approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday.