Idalia became a hurricane on Tuesday as it intensified on a path toward Florida’s Gulf coast, with the National Hurricane Center warning of an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds in Florida in the next two days.

It’s projected to have sustained winds of up to 193 kmph as it approaches Florida, the Hurricane Center said. That would make it a Category 3 hurricane. The center of Idalia is forecast to move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico later Tuesday, reach the Gulf coast of Florida within the Hurricane Warning area on Wednesday, and move close to the Carolina coastline on Thursday.