Striking photos show the extent of hurricane Milton’s devastation

Hurricane Milton left behind power outages, destruction and some fatalities after making landfall overnight Wednesday as a major category three hurricane.

The storm brought with it winds over 100mph and one-in-a-thousand-year rainfall. As much as 18 inches fell in some parts of Florida’s west coast, with heavy downpours across the state and in nearby Cuba.

As it travelled inland across the Florida peninsula, Milton maintained category one strength, with sustained winds up to 90mph. It lost some power once over land after its energy was fuelled by the warm Gulf of Mexico waters.

Storm surges and tornadoes led to extensive flooding, with more expected in the coming days. Several people have been killed, with tornadoes in Lucie County claiming four lives before Milton made landfall.

Officials across Florida ordered evacuations as the storm approached, and more than three million homes and businesses reportedly lost power overnight Wednesday.

As residents and responders continue rescue operations and surveying damage, we look at the impact of Hurricane Milton in pictures.