Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and surrounding areas are just outside the forecast cone for Hurricane Helene, which could make landfall as a Category 3 or higher hurricane on Thursday.

A hurricane watch and warnings of storm surges up to 15 feet high were issued Tuesday for almost all of Florida's western coastline as Tropical Storm Helene formed over the Caribbean Sea and headed toward the Gulf Coast.

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.