Meteorologists classified Helene as a tropical storm and expected it to develop into a strong hurricane in the second half of this week.
The National Hurricane Center
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The National Hurricane Center
Tropical storm and hurricane warnings were issued for parts of the lower Florida Keys, western Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula Tuesday morning as forecasters upgraded potential Tropical Cyclone Nine to Tropical Storm Helene.
Helene formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, just south of the western tip of Cuba, and is expected to reach hurricane strength with winds of 115 mph (185 kph) by Wednesday. Its trajectory threatens the Florida Panhandle by midday Tuesday, and could reach it by Thursday, according to meteorologists.
Meteorologists say this system will be particularly large – with a broad wind field. They expect the storm to move quickly, meaning a huge swath of land inland will take the brunt of the storm and the predicted storm surge – or abnormal rise in water.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state is preparing for Helene and thousands of pipeline workers, search and rescue workers and road clearing crews are on the way.
This hurricane season, which runs from June to November, has been unusually quiet, with the last such storm occurring on August 12.
Matthew Rosencrans, the National Weather Service’s lead hurricane forecaster, told NPR earlier this month that waters in the Atlantic are warmer than usual, helping storms develop into powerful forces. Rosencrans and other meteorologists expect more storms could form in the coming weeks.
