Tropical Storm Helene intensifies, continues march toward Gulf

Tropical Storm Helene neared hurricane strength overnight, bringing the threat of significant storm surge, rain and wind closer to Florida’s Gulf coast.

A large swath of Florida’s west coast, including portions of Tampa Bay, remained under a hurricane watch, tropical storm warning and a storm surge warning Wednesday.

The storm is expected to make landfall Thursday in the Big Bend region, bringing up to 15 feet of surge, according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center.

But due to Helene’s massive wind field, forecasters still expect the Tampa Bay region to see surge levels between 5 and 8 feet.

Tropical storm force-winds extended up to 175 miles from Helene’s center.

Helene was already strengthening as its center neared the Yucatan Peninsula, according to the hurricane center’s 5 a.m. advisory on Wednesday.

The storm was about 120 miles southwest of the western tip of Cuba and moving northwest at about 9 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, with higher gusts.

A Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph.

The storm is predicted to turn north late Wednesday and gain speed as it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasters say environmental conditions there are conducive to the storm’s development: low vertical wind shear, lots of moisture, and Gulf waters with high oceanic heat content.

“All guidance forecasts steady to rapid intensification,” according to the hurricane center advisory.

Rapid intensification occurs when a cyclone’s top wind speeds rise by 35 mph in a single day.

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