First hurricane-force winds hit Florida Keys as a weakened Hurricane Irma churns toward mainland

NAPLES, Fla. - The Florida Keys began to feel the wrath of Hurricane Irma on Saturday night as the powerful storm headed on a collision course with the western coast of Florida, which braced for a potentially devastating day of deadly winds and surging seas.

Irma was expected to unleash its full fury of 125 mph winds sometime around sunrise over Key West, barring a sudden change in direction, with the Fort Myers-Naples area in the storm's relentless cross hairs by mid-afternoon.

Hurricane-force gusts were already blasting the spindly islands of the Keys Saturday night, while escalating winds, driving rain and isolated tornadoes surged across Florida on the massive storm's leading edge.

Miami, which on Friday was launching a massive evacuation in anticipation of a direct hit, was breathing easier as