As of Thursday morning, Hurricane Helene has intensified with maximum sustained winds reaching 105 mph and gusts even higher, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is now just 6 mph away from reaching Category 3 major hurricane status.
Located 255 miles southwest of Tampa, Helene is currently moving to the north-northeast at a speed of 14 mph, slightly faster than earlier reports. Forecasters predict that Helene will continue to gain strength and speed as it heads towards the Florida coastline.
