WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — All of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast are under a tropical storm warning on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Helene barrels north and approaches Florida.
In its 8 a.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said Helene is just off the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and is close to hurricane strength.
It has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and is moving northwest at 9 mph.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
Helene is expected to strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on Thursday night.
The NHC has placed Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties under a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 36 hours.
In addition, Palm Beach County is under a flood watch.
By Wednesday, Helene will work its way into the southern Gulf of Mexico and strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 74 mph.
Then, as it works its way toward the north and across very warm Gulf waters, it's expected to rapidly intensify into a major Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
The center of the storm will stay roughly 300 miles to the west of West Palm Beach.
The Big Bend region and parts of the Florida Panhandle are under a hurricane warning.
Our viewing area will feel impacts from Helene between Wednesday and Friday.
We'll start to see the outer bands on Wednesday as storm moves into Gulf. That will continue into Thursday with the threat of severe weather, gusty winds, and heavy downpours.
For South Florida, the heaviest downpours will likely be between Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday morning.
"As we head into Thursday, most of the heaviest downpours will stay along the Gulf coast, and for us it's going to be more scattered about," WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Steve Villanueva said.
The outer rain bands may spin up a tornado locally and possibly produce two to five inches of rain. And even though Helene will stay roughly 300 miles to our west, the winds can still kick up here locally between 40 to maybe 50 miles per hour.
For Friday, still a lot of tropical moisture moving across South Florida. It won't be as windy, but still quite breezy.
By the weekend, storm chances will drop to more seasonal levels.
