Tracking the tropics: Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine likely to become Helene on Thursday

ATLANTA — Severe Weather Team 2 is now following Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine in the western Caribbean.

Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz says the system is forecast to track into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, where it will likely strengthen quickly.

“The water is very warm in the eastern Gulf and conditions are ripe for a quickly intensifying system,” Nitz says.

Hurricane hunters flew into the storm Monday afternoon to monitor its development. By 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to intensify rapidly over the next couple of days.

It is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane around Thursday afternoon, likely on Florida’s Big Bend coastline.

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If a tropical storm or hurricane forms, the storm would become Helene, the eighth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

There are potential impacts on Florida’s Gulf Coast mid-to-late week. Here in Georgia, the impacts would depend on the exact track that the storm takes but will bring heavy rain and gusty winds along its path.

Nitz says for now, expect rain chances to increase throughout the week as a cold front stall just west of Georgia.

[INTERACTIVE: StormTracker 2HD Radar]