It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours,” meteorologist John Morales said as tears welled up in his eyes A Florida meteorologist held back tears during a recent broadcast as he reported on the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton.

A meteorologist in Florida got emotional on a recent broadcast while reporting on the potential devastation Hurricane Milton could bring to Mexico and parts of Florida. John Morales, who works at NBC affiliate WTVJ,

Hurricane Milton is barreling toward the Gulf Coast of Florida after setting a record for one of the fastest strengthening periods in recorded history. Longtime south Florida meteorologist John Morales has seen plenty of destructive storms throughout his decades covering the weather, but Milton's projected effects even caught him by surprise.

Veteran Florida meteorologist John Morales teared up while reporting on Hurricane Milton’s strength and magnitude for WTVJ. CNN’s Rosemary Church has more.

Hurricane Milton regained Category 5 strength Tuesday afternoon with sustained winds of 165 mph as it heads toward the west-central coast of Florida.

The storm, which should hit Florida Wednesday night, presents an "extremely life-threatening situation," the National Hurricane Center warns.

Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4 hurricane, is taking aim at Florida's west coast. Landfall is expected late Wednesday night as a Category 4 hurricane. Milton is closing in as Floridians are still recovering from the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene.