Monster storm Hurricane Milton is currently ripping a path of destruction across Florida, leaving several people dead and tearing through the roof of Tropicana Field stadium as it heads for Orlando and onward to the Atlantic.

The first casualties were reported even before Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm around 8:30pm EST (1:30am BST), bringing 'catastrophic' flooding, 120mph winds and several twisters - some of which proved lethal.

After making landfall, Milton began rumbling east, ripping up everything in its path before ripping apart the roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg.

At least 117 tornado warnings were issued in communities across the state overnight and into this morning, with dozens reported to have materialised and wrought havoc. More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power Thursday morning in Florida.

Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida: Everything you need to know

Hurricane Milton, one of the most powerful storms to hit the US in recent years, made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night resulting in record flooding and extreme winds that have already caused multiple fatalities.

Milton hit Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, at around 8.30pm local time on Wednesday according to the National Hurricane Center.

Once a category five hurricane, the storm has since been downgraded to category one as it barrels its way across the Sunshine State, but officials warn it is still capable of generating life-threatening storm surges and deadly tornadoes.