Category 5 hurricane headed for U.S. will impact flights at Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario

Another powerful and potentially catastrophic hurricane headed Florida’s way — the second in two weeks — will impact flights to and from Pearson Airport in Mississauga this week.

Pearson Airport officials said in a post to social media on Monday they’re regularly monitoring the status of Tampa International Airport and other airports in the path of Hurricane Milton, a monstrous storm that’s rapidly intensified from a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday into a Category 5 beast on Monday.

It’s expected to pack a significant punch when it makes landfall on late Wednesday or early Thursday on Florida’s Gulf Coast, with Tampa and surrounding areas bracing for a direct hit. Fort Myers, to the south of Tampa, could also experience some of the worst that Milton will bring, U.S. authorities said.

Pearson officials said while all Monday flights arriving from or headed to Tampa are on schedule, Tuesday onwards will be a different story.

Officials at Tampa International Airport said via social media on Monday they’ll suspend all flight operations — arrivals and departures — starting early on Tuesday.

“We will suspend flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reopen when safe to do so,” they wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter). “Check directly with your airline for flight updates.”

Orlando International Airport officials said that airport “will cease commercial operations on Wednesday morning, in advance of Hurricane Milton.”

They said they’ll also resume regular operations “as soon as it is safe.”

Officials at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are also keeping an eye on Hurricane Milton.

While Fort Lauderdale, located on Florida’s southeast coast, isn’t currently in the hurricane’s direct path, officials at the airport “are monitoring the storm for inclement weather that is likely to impact our region as it moves closer to the Gulf Coast of Florida.

“We will provide updates if this forecast changes. If you’re traveling, check with your airline for updated flight status before coming here,” they said in a post to social media.

While Milton is forecast to weaken a bit before making landfall, it will grow in size and impact a larger area, U.S. forecasters said Monday.

It quickly grew in intensity from a Category 1 storm into a Category 5 event due largely to the record warm temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Less than two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene slammed into the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwest coast, bringing record storm surge levels and devastating much of the area.

Retaining its hurricane-force winds and large amounts of rainfall as it moved inland, Helene also destroyed many towns in several other U.S. states, killing several hundred people.

Helene is considered the most catastrophic hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina in 2005.