Helene was heading toward the island of Cozumel off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as of the National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. CDT advisory, with sustained winds increasing to 60 mph. The storm is projected to dump heavy rain and trigger possible mudslides across western Cuba while passing between the island and the Yucatan on Tuesday night.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said Florida is preparing for a direct hit from a major hurricane that could intensify quickly before it makes landfall in the Panhandle later this week. The National Hurricane Center predicted a tropical storm currently in the Gulf of Mexico will become Hurricane Helene as it moves north toward Florida by Thursday.