Hurricane Helene is set to arrive in the Gulf Coast of Florida later this evening. Ahead of its arrival, the Orlando area is currently under a Tornado Watch and Tropical Storm Warning.
As a result, Disney World has closed Typhoon Lagoon today, as well as its miniature golf courses, and canceled tonight’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Universal Orlando has also closed Volcano Bay and canceled tonight’s Halloween Horror Nights. Now, we’re starting to see the hurricane’s impact on flights in the year: Over 100 flights have been delayed at Orlando International Airport with 70 flights already canceled.
According to Flight Aware, which monitors flight delays and cancellations, Orlando International Airport currently has 126 flights delayed with 70 flights canceled. At the moment, the most affected airline is Frontier Airlines, followed by Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
According to the National Weather Service, outer rainbands have started to push into Florida with conditions expected to get worse later in the afternoon as Hurricane Helene makes its way towards Florida.
11AM 9/26 | Outer rainbands have begun to push through the local area. Conditions will further deteriorate into this afternoon, as Helene makes its closest approach to east central Florida. Tropical Storm Warnings & a Tornado Watch remain in effect. Stay weather aware today! pic.twitter.com/hnVBVofKNb
— NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) September 26, 2024
Hurricane Helene is set to make landfall at the Gulf Coast of Florida around 7PM tonight. According to ABC News, the storm was recently upgraded to a CAT 3 hurricane, although forecasters aren’t ruling out that it will become a Cat 4 before it makes landfall. Over 50,000 people in Florida are currently without power.
Orlando International Airport is still open and operating as normal, although weather could lead to flight delays and cancellations. If you are flying today, make sure to stay in touch with your airline and have your phone set up to get notifications should your flight be delayed or canceled.
Operational Update – Hurricane #Helene
Our airport remains open and operational. Inclement weather may lead to delays & cancellations. Please check with your airline directly for the most up-to-date flight information.
For airport status: https://t.co/498e8noAQK. https://t.co/QqxipLh9jI— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) September 26, 2024
Disney World has been affected by some rainbands from the hurricane already today and the area remains under a Tornado Watch and Tropical Storm Warning. Disney World has not announced any additional closures or cancellations, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for any updates.
Stay tuned to DFB for more.
What To Do if You’re Going to Disney World During a Hurricane
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