The Gulf Coast is making preparations for what will likely be the season's latest hurricane. The disturbance is churning near the Cayman Islands and is forecast to become Tropical Storm Helene on Tuesday. Helene could turn into a Category 2 hurricane with 110-mile-per-hour winds by the time it makes landfall. That could happen Thursday and forecasters say the west coast of Florida will feel the greatest impact.
Click HERE to see more from the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC 5am advisory details:
A Storm Surge Watch has been issued from Indian Pass Florida southward to Bonita Beach Florida, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
A Hurricane Watch has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood northward and westward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay.
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the Gulf Coast of Florida from Indian Pass to the Walton/Bay County Line and from north of Bonita Beach to south of Englewood.
At 500 AM EDT (0900 UTC), the disturbance was centered near latitude 18.9 North, longitude 83.0 West. The system is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph (13 km/h). This general motion is expected later today and tonight, followed by a faster northward to north-northeastward motion on Wednesday and Thursday. On the forecast track, the center of the system is forecast to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea through tonight, and then over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and the system is forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday and continue strengthening on Thursday as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...near 100 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...high...near 100 percent.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1001 mb (29.56 inches) based on Air Force dropsonde data.