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.

NBC News meteorologist Angie Lassman on Early Today forecasts the direction, size and strength of Helene as it heads toward Florida.

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.