Idalia is now a Category 2 hurricane.

The National Hurricane Centre says Idalia’s center is forecast to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida on Wednesday morning.

After landfall, the system is forecast to turn toward the northeast and east, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina late Wednesday and Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 155 km/h) with higher gusts.

Additional strengthening is forecast and Idalia is expected to become a major hurricane tonight before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida.

The NHC says it is also likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina on Wednesday.