Helene strengthens into category one hurricane with 80 MPH winds

Helene is now a hurricane, and a particularly large one at that.

The next 36+ hours will see rapid strengthening as this storm encounters very little shear and tracks over the warm water of the Loop Current.

The intensity forecast bumped up another few mph as well, just below Category 4 status which I would not be surprised to see at all by the time it makes landfall around 7 PM tomorrow.

Local impacts only expected to be an initially cloudy, breezy Thursday…though winds will stay south of tropical storm force in the 25 mph range.