Helene becomes a hurricane in its transition from Yucatán to Florida.

Tropical storm Helene became a category 1 hurricane on Wednesday and is rapidly gaining strength in the Caribbean Sea as it moves toward the northwest coast of Florida, which is already preparing with school closures and evacuations due to the risk of heavy rains and storm surges.

Helene now has maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h and is moving north-northwest at 17 km/h, which indicates that it has slightly increased its translation speed.

According to the latest report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), at 10:00 a.m. (local time), Helene was located 135 km north-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and about 810 km south-southwest of Tampa, Florida.

Tropical storm warnings have now expanded northward, covering the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina up to South Santee River, and westward to the Okaloosa/Walton county line in Florida.

A storm surge warning has also been issued from Mexico Beach to Indian Pass, Florida.

The hurricane, which is expected to hit the United States near Tallahassee, is already battering the Mexican peninsula of Yucatán and the western part of Cuba with hurricane-force winds.

The effects will be felt on the Florida coast in the coming hours, even though the center of the storm will not make landfall until Thursday.

The NHC warns that Helene could intensify to reach category 3 or higher by Thursday.

Hurricane warnings have been issued for areas of Yucatán and the northwest coast of Florida, where storm surges of up to 15 feet are expected.

Helene, which formed on Tuesday in the Caribbean, will move over warm and deep waters, which will favor its intensification.

The NHC recommends that residents in alert areas prepare for possible power outages and secure food and water for at least three days.

Tropical storm alerts have been issued in the Florida Keys, the southern peninsula, and the northeast coast of the state, as well as in South Carolina between the Savannah and South Santee rivers.

In addition, there are hurricane warnings for the west of Cuba and Florida, including Tampa Bay.

Larry Kelly, a specialist from the NHC, noted that "it is going to be a very large system with impacts across all of Florida."

Several counties on the west and northwest coast of Florida have ordered evacuations, and many school districts, including those in Tampa and Tallahassee, will close or reduce their hours.

President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida and sent teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Florida and Alabama to assist local authorities.

The White House reported that generators, food and water supplies, and rescue and repair equipment are being installed.

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, and the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, also declared emergencies in several areas.

The NHC warns that Helene will be an unusually large storm, with rain, swells, and winds affecting areas far from its center. States like Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana could experience heavy downpours.

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1.

Since the year 2000, eight hurricanes of category 3 or higher have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a researcher at Colorado State University.