Hurricane Helene forecast 'fastest in history'

"The NHC has never predicted a depression to become a major hurricane in 60 hours. The entire forecast is also substantially faster than any 36-hour and 48-hour forecast for a tropical depression," Sam Lillo, a meteorologist and software engineer at DTN Weather, said of Helene.

According to John Cangialosi, one of the NHC's senior hurricane specialists, Helene's forecast of "a 70-knot increase in wind speed in 72 hours on September 23 is one of the fastest forecasts" for a potential tropical storm.

"There's a reason for making that forecast. We're trying to get ahead of the possibility of rapid intensification before it hits Florida," Cangialosi said.

Dự báo về bão Helene — Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida, USA on September 26. Photo: Tropicaltidbits.com

Hurricane Helene is forecast to make landfall along or near Florida's Big Bend on the evening of September 26 local time, bringing winds, rain and storm surge across the Southeast, but the exact track and time of landfall could still change.

Helene will be the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the United States this year and the fifth to hit Florida since 2022.

Among the computer models used to forecast the storm, some show Helene continuing to strengthen and could sharply drop its central pressure to the lowest level ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico.

The NHC and the National Weather Service typically advise residents in a hurricane's path to plan for a higher intensity than forecast, and Helene is currently forecast to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the 5-point Safir-Simpson hurricane scale, with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h). Some models even predict Helene will make landfall as a Category 4 or 5 storm.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 of the state's 67 counties and activated the National Guard to respond to the storm.

Local officials have also begun implementing evacuation measures and preparing emergency shelters.

As of the evening of September 24, 10 coastal counties have issued partial evacuation orders.

Governor DeSantis warned that the risk of storm surge, coastal flooding, heavy rains and destructive winds is high. Not only Florida, but neighboring areas are also on alert.

The NHC has issued a hurricane warning for communities along the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and a hurricane watch for Cuba's Pinar del Rio province.

If the NHC forecast is correct, Hurricane Helene, with sustained winds of more than 110km/h, will be the strongest storm to hit the US in more than a year.

Scientists say climate change is contributing to the increased strength and frequency of hurricanes. Warmer ocean temperatures are one of the factors that cause storms to intensify rapidly.

Minh Hoa (reported by Lao Dong, Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/du-bao-ve-bao-helene-nhanh-bac-nhat-lich-su-204240925185728276.htm