The typhoon is “now an extremely dangerous level four hurricane,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Thursday evening (local time). “A plane from the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Administration (NOAA) recently measured wind speeds of up to 215 kilometers per hour,” he said.
According to the NHC, Hurricane Helene is expected to hit Florida on Thursday evening. Authorities warned of storm surges as high as six meters. Governor Ron DeSantis urged people to seek safety. Several other states in the path of Helene’s predictions also issued warnings.
If the forecast is correct, “Helene” will likely be the region’s strongest and largest hurricane in more than a year. Hurricane expert Michael Lowry spoke of an “extreme” cyclone nearly 800 kilometers wide.
