Helene likely to rapidly intensify Wednesday
A major hurricane is likely to slam Florida's Gulf Coast Thursday.
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Here we go again. Another tropical cyclone is about to undergo rapid intensification Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tropical Storm Helene will likely become a hurricane on Wednesday. The storm is forecast to track northward into the bathwater warmth of the Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures in the Gulf are in the mid and upper 80s this week.
The warm waters will act as rocket fuel for Helene. Forecast models blow up Helene into a major hurricane Wednesday into Thursday.
The latest NHC forecast is for Helene to peak at 115 mph winds before landfall Thursday. But additional intensification is very possible.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INIT 24/2100Z 19.7N 84.7W 45 KT 50 MPH
12H 25/0600Z 20.4N 86.0W 55 KT 65 MPH
24H 25/1800Z 21.7N 86.6W 65 KT 75 MPH
36H 26/0600Z 23.7N 86.1W 80 KT 90 MPH
48H 26/1800Z 27.0N 84.9W 100 KT 115 MPH
60H 27/0600Z 31.5N 84.0W 60 KT 70 MPH...INLAND
72H 27/1800Z 35.5N 84.8W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
96H 28/1800Z 38.2N 89.0W 20 KT 25 MPH...POST-TROP/INLAND 120H 29/1800Z...DISSIPATED
Computer forecast models consensus lies around a likely landfall along Florida’s Big bend area Thursday.
Storm surge over 10 feet is likely in the Big Bend. Surge of 5 to 8 feet is possible around the Tampa Bay area.
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