Hurricane Helene updates: Storm strengthens into Category 1, takes aim at Florida

This image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Tropical Storm Helene on September 25, 2024, at 13:11 UTC. Florida on September 24 started preparing for Helene, due to make landfall later in the week as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. Helene, currently churning over the Caribbean with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles (85kms) per hour, is projected to rapidly strengthen through the Gulf of Mexico before slamming into the Florida coast on September 26, according to the National Hurricane Center.