Helene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane hours ahead of its expected landfall on Florida’s northwest coast Thursday night, and forecasters warned that the enormous storm could create a “nightmare” surge in coastal areas and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.

Tropical storm force winds began battering Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Helene prepared to make landfall, with forecasters warning that the enormous storm could create a “nightmare” surge along the coast and churn up damaging winds hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.

Two major weather systems are bringing heavy rain, high winds and more to Mexico’s southern Pacific coast on one side and the Caribbean on the other.

Waves break into restaurants on the beach as Tropical Storm John is on track to become a hurricane again, hurtling back towards communities across the Pacific coast, in Acapulco, Mexico September 25,

Hurricane John, which came ashore in western Mexico on Monday and lashed the region with strong winds and heavy rains before dissipating, regained tropical storm strength over the Pacific Ocean late Tuesday,