When is Hurricane Nicole Supposed to Hit Florida? Path Update, Tracker

Subtropical Storm Nicole could hit Florida's east coast as a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, forecasters have said.

A hurricane warning is in effect for northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini and Grand Bahama Island, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Andros Island, New Providence and Eleuthera in the northwestern Bahamas, as well as from Hallandale Beach in Florida's Broward County to halfway up Georgia's coast, as well as the Lake Okeechobee area.

The NHC predicted that the center of the storm will approach the Bahamas on Tuesday and reach Florida's east coast on Wednesday night. Nicole's center is then expected to move across central and northern Florida into the southern part of Georgia on Thursday.

"Nicole is expected to make a transition to a tropical storm later today and begin strengthening, and it is forecast to be near or at hurricane strength by Wednesday and Wednesday night while it is moving near the northwestern Bahamas and approaching the east coast of Florida," the NHC said.

Forecasters said a "dangerous" storm surge is expected along much of Florida's east coast and parts of coastal Georgia, where storm surge warnings are currently in effect.

"Do not focus on the exact track of Nicole since it is expected to be a large storm with hazards extending well to the north of the center, and outside of the cone," the NHC said. "These hazards are likely to affect much of the Florida peninsula and portions of the southeast U.S."

It comes as large parts of Florida are continuing to recover from Hurricane Ian, which devastated communities after making landfall near Fort Myers on September 28 as a strong Category 4 hurricane.

But forecasters have said Nicole is not expected to be as devastating.

"We're not forecasting a major hurricane," Jamie Rhome, the acting director of the NHC, said in a video briefing on Monday.

"We're not forecasting rapid intensification at this time. We think because it's very large, that it's going to strengthen slowly as it approaches the Florida peninsula and potentially impact the Florida peninsula as a top end tropical storm or a bottom end hurricane, a Category 1 hurricane ... not an Ian situation, but still a potentially impactful system so Florida residents need to be taking this seriously."

On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 34 counties in the potential path of the storm.

"While this storm does not, at this time, appear that it will become much stronger, I urge all Floridians to be prepared and to listen to announcements from local emergency management officials," he said in a statement.

The National Hurricane Center has been contacted for further comment.