Tropical Storm Helene continues to strengthen and threatens to become a hurricane as it approaches the coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned on Tuesday.
According to the latest forecasts, Helene is expected to reach hurricane strength as it passes near the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula this Wednesday, where a warning has already been issued due to its proximity, the NHC noted on the social network X.
Additionally, it was noted that Helene will rapidly increase in size as it moves over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which could produce dangerous storm surges along the west coast of Florida, particularly in the Florida Big Bend area.
Finally, the monitoring center indicated that Helene will bring heavy rains to parts of the western Caribbean, with the potential for significant flooding and landslides in western Cuba.
Currently, tropical storm Helene is located at coordinates 19.7°N, 84.7°W, with sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (mph) and moving in a west-northwest (WNW) direction at a speed of 12 mph.
The Cuban meteorologist Raydel Ruisanchez stated on Facebook that the winds from Helene "have increased to 85 km/h and the pressure has dropped to 995 hPa."
He also noted that "the area of tropical storm winds has increased and now extends up to 280 km east of its center."
The NHC also warned on Monday in another statement that Tropical Storm Helene "will become quite large and powerful before making landfall," predicting that it will arrive in Florida as a strong hurricane.
"The conditions appear to be quite favorable for strengthening over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday," they noted in a statement following this weather phenomenon that has put regions of countries like Cuba and Mexico on alert.
Hours earlier, the NHC confirmed that Tropical Storm Helene had formed in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and indicated that, according to forecasts, it would rapidly intensify.
In Florida, on Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-208, declaring a state of emergency in 41 counties that could face potential impacts from the storm and ordering agencies to prepare as needed.
The provision excludes the southeastern part of the state, leaving out Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties.
Helene is expected to move northward through the Panhandle region on Thursday night, with Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, at the center of its projected path.
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