Tropical Storm Helene is gaining strength in the Caribbean, where it is expected to become a hurricane and proceed toward a U.S. landfall by Thursday.
A Hurricane Warning has been issued from Anclote River to Mexico Beach in Florida. Hurricane conditions are expected in the area within 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the Middle Florida Keys from the Seven Mile Bridge to the Channel 5 Bridge, as well as for the Gulf coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the area in the next 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the east coasts of Florida and Georgia from the Palm Beach/Martin County Line northward to the Savannah River, and for Lake Okeechobee. Tropical storm conditions were possible within the area.
On Tuesday evening Helene was located about 145 miles south of the western tip of Cuba, moving west-northwest at about 12 miles per hour. Its maximum sustained winds had reached 60 miles per hour.
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The storm is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Wednesday, and into a major hurricane on Thursday thanks to warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall somewhere in Florida's Big Bend region, but exact locations and timings are still not known. The National Hurricane Center recommends following storm warning and evacuation guidance from local officials and says anyone preparing for landfall be done with their work by early on Thursday.
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Helene's impact won't just be felt in Florida. The National Weather Service warns of rain and flooding across the South through Friday.
So far in 2024, the Atlantic hurricane season has produced eight named tropical systems, including four hurricanes and one major hurricane. Just two weeks ago, Hurricane Francine came ashore in Louisiana as a Category 2 system.
