Astonishing satellite images show wild sparks of lightning in sky as Hurricane Milton tears across Florida

Astonishing satellite images show how much lightning struck Florida as Hurricane Milton devastated the Sunshine State on Wednesday evening.

The images captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES East satellite show wild sparks spreading across the southern part of the state as the Category 3 storm made landfall.

The rating only reflects the speed of Milton’s gusts, as forecasters warned the storm would be one of the worst in recent history.

It has already brought maximum winds of 120 mph, and rain bands have caused at least five confirmed tornadoes to touch down in southwest Florida — causing “multiple fatalities,” according to a sheriff.

There were also well over a million left without power from 10 p.m., while the National Weather Service declared a Flash Flood Emergency in the Tampa Bay area.

But authorities say the biggest danger Milton poses is the wall of water known as storm surge. It was initially feared it would reach 4.5 metres, although forecasters now think the storm surge will still be a record high of 4.5 metres.

Terrifying drone camera footage even captured massive 28-foot waves caused by the hurricane.

The waves are about 8.5 meters long – longer than a London bus and four times as high as André the Giant – and have gusts of just over 120 kilometers per hour.

The video is part of a program with drone makers Saildrone, in an “effort to better understand and predict devastating events like Hurricane Milton.”

The storm caused at least five confirmed tornadoes to touch down in southwest Florida, causing “multiple fatalities,” according to a sheriff’s office.

Terrifying drone camera footage has captured massive 28-foot waves caused by the hurricane

Nearly six million Floridians were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm, with officials advising anyone who doesn’t leave to write their names on their legs so authorities could identify their bodies.

But some were spotted visiting the Universal Studios resort in Orlando on Wednesday, trying to make the most of the hours before Milton made landfall.

Images of residents enjoying themselves while ignoring evacuation warnings drew scorn on social media, with one person sharing a selfie at the Key West monument and asking: “What are you doing man?”

In another video that outraged social media users, an influencer said she was “going to die” because she was too stubborn to evacuate her home during the storm.

The Florida Department of Health has now deployed more than 200 emergency response vehicles, according to the governor’s website.