Swaths of Mexico and Florida under hurricane warnings as Helene strengthens

Tropical Storm Helene was rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico's coast toward the US, prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The storm is forecast to be "near hurricane strength" when it passes near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Center said, and to "intensify and grow in size" as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern US starting Wednesday, with a "life-threatening storm surge" along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the center.

The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and Florida's northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.

With Tropical Storm Helene moving north along Mexico's coast toward the US, gas stations in the Tallahassee area were already starting to run out of gas on Monday, and supermarket shelves were being emptied of water and other supplies.

Florida State and Florida A&M universities were shut down ahead of the storm and government offices were closing as of Wednesday afternoon.

About 80 percent of the region was without power after Hurricane Hermine in 2016, a Category 1 storm, and it took more than a week to restore electricity for many customers.

Known for its large oak trees and canopy roads, Tallahassee is still recovering from tornadoes that slammed through the heart of the city in May, damaging homes and businesses and destroying scores of trees.

The storms caused extensive damage in the city's beloved Railroad Square district of art studios and offbeat shops.

In western Cuba, authorities moved cattle to higher ground and took measures to protect tobacco leaves as fishermen pulled boats to dry land. Seven medical brigades were dispatched to communities usually cut off by storms.

Tropical Storm Helene was expected to dump heavy rain on the western part of an island already struggling with severe water shortages and chronic power outages.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Helene was pelting Mexico's Caribbean coast resorts from Cozumel to Cancun with rain, high waves and strong winds early Wednesday.

Mara Lezama, the governor of the coastal state of Quintana Roo, shared photos of downed trees and rain-swept streets, and videos of the normally placid, turquoise waters off the island of Cozumel being whipped into angry waves that broke over the seawall of the coastal boulevard.

In Cancun, heavy waves threatened to worsen the resort's ongoing problem with beach erosion.

Forecasters warned that Tropical Storm Helene's hurricane-force winds could spread damage far inland as the storm races northward from the Gulf Coast. Fifteen counties in southern Georgia were under a hurricane warning Wednesday, including some rural areas roughly 90 miles (144.84 kilometres) north of the Georgia-Florida line.

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