Tropical Weather Latest: Helene strengthens into hurricane, John re-forms as tropical storm

Helene strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday, and forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida. The storm had already prompted residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The hurricane was about 500 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it is expected to become a major hurricane with its center making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast as soon as late Thursday.

The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida’s northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.

Meanwhile, former Hurricane John re-formed as a tropical storm and threatened areas of Mexico's western coast anew.

Follow AP's coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes.