Latest forecasts from the National Hurricane Center predict that Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine will continue to intensify over the Gulf of Mexico.

While there is still some uncertainty of the exact track of this tropical system, as of now, gusty wind and heavy rain is looking likely for our area. Over the next day or two, we could see a shift in the track, so the forecast is not set in stone.

We are continuing to keep a close eye on an area of interest in the tropics just to the east of Honduras and Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea. The latest update is that this cluster of thunderstorms has now been deemed Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, which is a mouthful for an area that is likely to develop into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.

We now have our first cone forecast with this system, and it follows what long-range models have been saying with a landfall anywhere from Panama City Beach all the way down to Tampa along the Florida Gulf coast.

The center of this cone goes right over us here in central Georgia, but where the center of circulation passes through is still a little up in the air. This forecast also has this system intensifying into a Category 3 storm before landfall, which would deem this a major hurricane before landfall.

Upon formation, the next name on the Atlantic Hurricane season list is Helene, which would be our 8th named storm of the season.

Model guidance and the National Hurricane Center's forecast products include central Georgia in the path of this system. Models indicate that central Georgia could begin to see rain bands from the system as early as Wednesday night through early Friday morning.

The main thing we are watching, is to see what side of the very center of this storm we are on. If we are on the west-side of the storm, we won't have the severe weather impacts that we will if we are on the east, or "dirty side", of this system.

Right now we are expecting to see heavy rainfall and some gusty winds, but severity of these impacts is still to be determined.

Once again, we won't get a good idea of this potential system's projected path and how strong this storm will get until it forms. It remains something we are keeping a close eye on here with the Weather Team, and we will continue to provide updates as we get them.

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