The latest news on storm No. 9 Helene from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) at 11:00 a.m. ET on September 24 (10:00 p.m. the same day, Vietnam time) said that the latest storm was about 290 km east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 72 km/h.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane No. 9 Helene is moving northwest at a speed of about 19 km/h and is forecast to maintain this direction until the morning of September 25. After that, Hurricane Helene will turn north-northeast at a faster speed on September 26 and 27.
"The center of Hurricane Helene is forecast to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea overnight on September 24, then move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on September 25 and 26 with the possibility of reaching the Florida Gulf Coast late on September 26," the NHC said in its latest hurricane forecast for storm No. 9.
Forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center also said that the latest storm in the Atlantic will strengthen further, with Helene expected to become a hurricane on September 25. After that, Hurricane No. 9 Helene will continue to strengthen, with the possibility of becoming a major hurricane on September 26.
According to the latest storm report from AP, two major weather systems, including Hurricane Helene, are bringing heavy rain, strong winds and other natural disasters to Mexico's southern Pacific coast and the Caribbean coast of Mexico.
Tropical Storm John hit Mexico late on September 23 with the potential to cause flooding after rapidly strengthening to a Category 3 storm in just a few hours.
The storm made landfall near the town of Punta Maldonado before weakening back to a tropical storm on the morning of September 24 and is expected to weaken rapidly. However, the US National Hurricane Center warned that John's slow-moving speed and heavy rains could lead to flash floods and landslides.
According to the latest storm report from AP, forecasters warn that Hurricane Helene could strengthen into a major hurricane on its way to the southeastern United States.
In addition to Hurricane Helene in the Atlantic, the hurricane center is also continuing to monitor a low pressure area near the Cape Verde Islands.
The NHC's latest hurricane and depression forecast states that a tropical depression "is likely to form within days" as the area moves westward in a west-northwesterly direction across the eastern and central parts of the tropical Atlantic. The area has an 80% chance of strengthening over the next seven days.
