Editor's Note: This page is a summary of news on expected Hurricane Helene for Monday, Sept. 23. For the latest, view our story for Tuesday, Sept. 24. A brewing storm in the Caribbean Sea is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days and make landfall along the Gulf Coast as early as Thursday.

Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 is expected to strengthen into Hurricane Helene Wednesday and could be a Category 3 hurricane by landfall Thursday.

Tropical Storm Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane with 115-mph winds before landfall Thursday.

Once in the Gulf, the system should become a hurricane and the NHC is forecasting it to increase to Category 3 strength right up to landfall Thursday evening. The location at this point is targeting the Florida panhandle near Apalachicola or the Big Bend area, but various models have been spread from Panama City to north of Homosassa Springs.

Hurricane watches have been issued for parts of Cuba, Mexico and a stretch of Florida’s Gulf coast, including Tampa Bay.

By Fredy Garcia PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico (Reuters) -Hurricane John hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast late on Monday as a major category 3 storm, with authorities warning residents to protect themselves against potentially deadly storm surges and torrential rain.

Model guidance is persistent in suggesting a landfall in Apalachee Bay, right in the heart of Florida's Big Bend region.

Forecasters say they expect Tropical Storm Helene in the Caribbean Sea to strengthen rapidly and become a hurricane as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday toward the U.S. The Nationa

Another storm system is taking aim at Florida, this time possibly the Panhandle with storm effects all along the Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm Helene, soon to be a hurricane, is sweeping up from the Caribbean Sea into extremely warm waters that are fuel for tropical cyclones.