Helene has officially strengthened into a hurricane as it continues to track toward the Florida coast. The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast, including the Tampa Bay area, ahead of potential impacts from the storm. It's expected further strengthen into a major hurricane, category 3 or higher, sometime Thursday ahead of landfall. As of the latest advisory, Tropical Storm Helene is 60 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico. It's moving at 9 mph with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. "Helene's large size will likely cause an extensive area to be affected by the storm's hazards," the NHC wrote. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/weather/tropics/hurricane-helene-tracking-cone-forecast-florida/67-43291f17-63e3-49f4-85a5-105e6d99175b