As Florida gets impacted from Hurricane Helene's landfall Thursday , the National Hurricane Center also is tracking two other systems out there, including Tropical Storm Isaac. Isaac could become a hurricane by Friday or early Saturday.
Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane at 11:10 p.m. in the Big Bend Region just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida.
➤ Spaghetti models for Hurricane Helene
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Helene is a very large storm, and impa c ts could be felt hundreds of miles from the storm's center.
Potential impacts include hurricane-force winds, catastrophic storm surge, heavy rain, flooding and a risk for tropical tornadoes.
“AccuWeather expert meteorologists expect this to be a highly impactful storm,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter. “This could be the storm that the 2024 hurricane season is remembered for.”
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➤ Live updates as Hurricane Helene approaches Florida landfall
Here's the latest update from the National Hurricane Center as of 11 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26:
Hurricane Helene path: Where is it and where's it going?
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Spaghetti models for Hurricane Helene
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
➤ Spaghetti models for Hurricane Helene
Tropical Storm Isaac: What you should know
At 11 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Isaac was located near latitude 37.1 North, longitude 49.8 West.
Isaac is moving toward the east at 12 mph, and a turn toward the east-northeast is expected by the weekend.
Maximum sustained winds are 65 mph, with higher gusts.
Strengthening is forecast, and Isaac is expected to reach or be near hurricane strength by late Friday or early Saturday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center.
Spaghetti models for Tropical Storm Isaac
What else is out there and how likely are they to strengthen?
Invest 98L, Eastern and Central Tropical Atlantic: Showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure located about one thousand miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands continue to show signs of organization. Recent satellite imagery suggests the system does not yet have a well-defined surface circulation. However, environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for further development.
A tropical depression is expected to form tonight or on Friday while the disturbance moves generally westward to west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph. The system is then forecast to slow down and turn north-northwestward late Friday and Saturday.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: high, 90 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days: high, 90 percent.
Western Caribbean: An area of low pressure could form over the western Caribbean Sea by the middle of next week. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for slow development thereafter, while the system moves generally northwestward.
- Formation chance through 48 hours: low, near 0 percent.
- Formation chance through 7 days: low, 20 percent.
What do the colored areas on the NOAA map mean?
The hatched areas on a tropical outlook map indicate "areas where a tropical cyclone — which could be a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane — could develop," said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome.
The colors make it visibly clear how likely a system could develop with yellow being low, orange medium and red high.
The National Hurricane Center generally doesn't issue tropical advisories until there is a named storm, but there is an exception.
"If a system is near land and there is potential for development, the National Hurricane Center won't wait before it issues advisories, even if the system hasn't become an actual storm. This gives residents time to prepare," Rhome said.
Who is likely to be impacted?
Florida could see catastrophic impacts from Helene Thursday, including hurricane-force winds, heavy rain, life-threatening storm surge, power outages and tornadoes.
➤ Excessive rainfall forecast
Swells generated by Isaac and a large wind fetch from a deep-layer trough are affecting portions of the coast of Bermuda and could spread into the Azores by this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
It's too early at this time to determine if there will be any impact to Florida or the U.S. from the tropical waves in the central Atlantic and Caribbean.
Forecasters urge all residents to continue monitoring the tropics and to always be prepared. That advice is particularly important for what is expected to be a very active hurricane season.
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
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When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
The Atlantic basin includes the northern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season was Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
National Hurricane Center map: What are forecasters watching now?
Systems currently being monitored by the National Hurricane Center include:
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
Excessive rainfall forecast
What's next?
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage daily. Download your local site's app to ensure you're always connected to the news. And look for our special subscription offers here .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New tropical disturbance pops up in Caribbean and Hurricane Isaac may develop in Atlantic
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