Possible major hurricane may hit Florida this week, NHC says
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The National Hurricane Center began issuing advisories for Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 on Monday.
The system is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday as it enters the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NHC’s 5 p.m. update.
The system is located about 105 miles southwest of Grand Cayman. It has sustained winds of 35 mph, according to the NHC.
“Right now this is a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms,” Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Eric Stone said. “There is no well-defined center of circulation and the maximum wind is at 30 mph, but this system is expected to gain strength as it moves over warm water.”
“As it moves into the Gulf of Mexico this system will strengthen further from a tropical storm to possibly a Category 1 hurricane,” Stone said. “It will then move toward Florida’s west coast and could strengthen into a Category 2 or 3 storm.”
Hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings have been issued for parts of Mexico and Cuba. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the Dry Tortugas and the Lower Florida Keys south of Seven Mile Bridge.
Air Force Hurricane Hunters are currently investigating the disturbance.
Over the next several days, heavy rainfall is expected in portions of Central America. Northwestern Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and western Cuba should closely monitor the system, according to the NHC.
“What will be Helene will make landfall somewhere in the Big Bend area of Florida,” Stone said. “Impacts will be felt in the Tampa Bay area in regards to rain and wind as well as storm surge along the coast and in Tampa Bay. The worst from this storm will arrive Thursday.”
Elsewhere in the tropics, a tropical wave located between western Africa and the Cabo Verde Islands is producing rainfall and thunderstorms as it moves west.
Conditions are favorable for the development of this system, a tropical depression is likely to form within the next couple of days, according to the NHC.
Formation chance in the next two days is 20%, with a 70% chance in the next seven days.
