ORLANDO, Fla. – When and where?
Those are the questions everyone is asking when it comes to Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 3 storm, making landfall in Florida.
According to the National Hurricane Center, “potentially catastrophic hurricane-force winds are expected within the eyewall of Helene when it makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend region (Thursday) evening.”
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The hurricane center’s current track shows Helene striking Florida south of Tallahassee and traveling near or through the Sunshine State’s capital city.
As of 2:25 p.m., Helene had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and was moving north-northeast at 16 mph. It was about 170 miles southwest of Tampa. A significant increase in forward speed is expected during the next 24 hours.
Although the worst of the weather will take place in the Big Bend, as the storm lifts through the Gulf of Mexico, outer bands from Helene will move onshore and push through Central Florida.
Rather than sustained tropical storm conditions, there will be periods of nasty weather as outer bands lash out.
Due to the sheer size and wind field of Helene, the winds in Central Florida are expected to crank up starting early Thursday and increasing into the evening hours. Latest models showing wind gusts getting up to 30-40 miles per hour by noon.
The peak wind gusts will be felt late Thursday afternoon through sundown for most of the area feeling wind gusts between 40-50 miles per hour.
When it comes to the rain, scattered showers will spiral into Central Florida through the first half Thursday, with the strongest storms expected to move into Central Florida by Thursday afternoon and into the evening.
The forecast shows a line of strong storms spiraling into the area between 5-7pm, increasing our chance for tornadoes and tropical storm-force wind gusts.
As Helene makes landfall Thursday evening, tropical storm wind gusts will be felt for much of the area along with tropical downpours. The worst of the weather should taper off by sundown on Thursday.
For county-specific impacts, click here to see a full breakdown.