Helene strengthens into Category 1 hurricane, barrels toward Florida Panhandle

Atlantic storm Helene strenghtened early Wednesday afternoon into a Category 1 hurricane as it churned into the Gulf of Mexico toward a projected landfall on the Florida panhandle. 

Helene is expected to make landfall late Thursday, near the city of Tallahassee, in a part of the state also known as the Big Bend. 

The storm is expected to strengthen over roughly the next 24 hours into a Category 3 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of Wednesday afternoon, storm surge warnings has already been issued for the Florida Keys and almost all of Florida's west coast, with Helene, about  85 miles northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, moving northwest at about 10 mph and packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, according to NBC News.