Hurricane Helene was one of three major hurricanes of the active 1988 Atlantic hurricane season. The twelfth tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the season, Helene developed on September 19 from a tropical wave which was also associated with an area of deeply-organized convection that moved off the coast of Africa of September 15. After initially moving eastward, the storm turned northward and strengthened. Helene did not affect land nor did it ever pose a threat to land, but it likely posed a threat to boat shipping lines and to marine interests. Hurricane Helene did not affect land, however the precursor tropical wave caused some gusty winds in the Cape Verde Islands. The hurricane was the third most intense hurricane of the 1988 season, behind Gilbert and Joan. It was also the longes