Updated 6:27pm Friday: Hurricane Helene has made landfall around Florida’s Big Bend as a major Category 4 hurricane. It’s moving rapidly northwards and will be clearing Florida overnight. As of 6pm Friday NZST it was already moving into the state of Georgia and was Category 1 still, which is significant with the hurricane so far inland now. Hurricanes usually weaken much earlier as once the centre of a tropical storm moves over land they start to rapidly lose energy. But Helene is overall tracking northwards at 42km/h – which is very fast considering some hurricanes move along at the same speed as humans walk. So the hurricane is being carried much further inland than usual.

🚨🌀#HurricaneHelene (Category1️⃣) is already over #Georgia.

Air pressure is 955 hPa (mb)

🇺🇸2am Fri ET
🇳🇿6pm Fri NZST pic.twitter.com/9LnQVFX7EJ

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2024

🚨🌀#Breaking: #HurricaneHelene officially makes landfall as a Category 4 storm in Big Bend #Florida. The nearest populated centre is Perry, about 20km inland.

The historic hurricane made landfall with sustained winds of 145mph (233kmh).

Air presssure: 938mb (hPa)… pic.twitter.com/ZdnWmIN9RE

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2024

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EARLIER NEWS:
Helene was Category 4 and is bringing “unsurvivable conditions” according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) due to a coastal storm surge near the centre of the hurricane up to 20 feet (6 metres).

Destructive large waves are on top of that 20 foot storm surge.

At the time of recording this (6pm Thursday, ET/10am Friday NZT) Helene had sustained winds of 125mph (200kmh) and gusts to 155mph (250kmh) but had strengthened a further 30km/h and officially became Category 4 shortly after we published this and also later when it made landfall.

The storm is very large, covering 400 miles (645km) across with tropical storm force winds. Helene is also tracking very quickly northwards overnight tonight.

Keep up to date with official warnings from local authorities and the NHC as tracking, maps, totals and timings may still change in the coming hours. This video is a snapshot of conditions and forecasts just as severe weather was setting in and ramping up on Thursday PM Eastern Time.

Our thanks to the CNN Weather Center for use of their Storm Tracker maps. https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/s…

🚨🌀🇺🇸#HurricaneHELENE – Eyewall is now moving in.

Category4️⃣

Landfall: Expected within this hour.

Rain Radar Loop:@CNN Live #HELENE Storm Tracker: https://t.co/POP5fXRzfa pic.twitter.com/UrNiN367AU

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2024

🚨#HurricaneHelene is likely to make landfall within the hour. #Florida #BigBend#HELENE is rocketing northwards at 24mph (39kmh). It's this incredible speed (some hurricanes move at walking speed) that will carry the damaging winds/rain so far inland (very rare).

Now: 939hPa pic.twitter.com/HEvj9ev3TK

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2024

Auckland: Shuts the harbour bridge on the hunch it might get windier.

Floridians: https://t.co/EjiJo8y5uN

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 27, 2024