SARASOTA, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Milton blasted ashore in Florida Wednesday night with furious winds, life-threatening rain and storm surge, as people who endured another hurricane just two weeks ago braced for a long, violent night.

The “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm made landfall near Siesta Key, in a densely populated area on the state’s western coast, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Thursday) bulletin.

It has, however, since weakened to a Category 2 storm since making landfall.

“So the storm is here. It’s time for everyone to hunker down,” Governor Ron DeSantis told a press conference just before Milton’s arrival.

Life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding were happening across the central Florida peninsula, the NHC said.

Tidal surges are expected to inundate western Florida’s heavily populated and low-lying Gulf Coast amid fears of widespread chaos and possible fatalities.

Milton is later expected to rip through inland areas to the Atlantic Ocean, with tourist hub Orlando — home to Walt Disney World — in its path.

As it hit land Milton was packing sustained winds moving at 120 miles (205 kilometres) per hour, with potential for as much as 13 feet (four metres) of storm surge, the NHC said.

In cities up and down Florida’s western coast, the wind howled furiously and torrential rain fell as frightened people took shelter wherever they could.

In the city of Sarasota, near Siesta Key, gusts of wind blew panes of glass from buildings on the waterfront. The streets were deserted. Trees swayed almost horizontal, barely able to withstand the wind. Businesses were shuttered and sandbagged.

On a wooden board fixed against a window of an old red brick building, someone wrote: “Be kind Milton.”

Just before landfall DeSantis said it was too late and too dangerous to evacuate anyone so people had to stay put and weather the storm wherever they were.

“Stay inside and stay off the roads. Flood waters and rushing storm surge are very dangerous,” the governor said.

The airports in Tampa and Sarasota were closed until further notice.