An area where thunderstorms are currently gathering in the Caribbean is expected to strengthen and become Hurricane Helene and quickly gather over the Gulf of Mexico’s exceptionally warm waters.
It will be expected that the gathering storm will strike the U.S. Gulf Coast in the coming days as a major hurricane.
While the storm is yet to fully gather, the National Hurricane Center has named it Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, signaling a possible and imminent threat.
An alert for hurricane and tropical storm watches has been issued for parts of places like Mexico, Cuba, and Florida, with additional warnings expected as the storm approaches.
Florida is not taking a back seat as it has started preparing to protect the city against the impact of the storm. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 41 counties as the city prepares to tackle the effect and coordination efforts.
The storm currently remains a disorganized system of thunderstorms and showers over the western Caribbean Sea, bringing heavy downpours to Central America, Mexico, Cuba, and Jamaica.
It is in expectation to rapidly strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane as the system moves north over the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters, potentially bringing strong winds, storm surges, and dangerous rip currents to the U.S. Gulf Coast.
