At 4:00 AM, the center of Tropical Storm Helene was located near latitude 20.7 North, longitude 86.2 West. Helene is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h). This motion should continue through this morning, followed by a general northward motion beginning later today and continuing through Friday.
On the forecast track, the center of Helene will pass near the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula this morning, move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on later today and Thursday, and reach the Big Bend coast of Florida late Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are now near 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to become a hurricane later today. The storm is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the eastern Gulf of Mexico and become a major hurricane on Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km) from the center. A Mexican Navy weather station at Isla Contoy recently reported sustained winds of 38 mph (61 km/h) and a wind gust of 48 mph (78 km/h).
The minimum central pressure recently reported by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 985 mb
Heavy rain and flooding will be the major concern for Western North Carolina.
Our weather partners at the Weather Channel are predicting 5-12 inches of rain for the region with the heaviest of that on Thursday night into Friday morning.
Next complete advisory at 10:00 AM