Tropical storm could form in Gulf of Mexico next week, development odds increasing

Just days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center is warning residents on the Gulf Coast to monitor another tropical system.

A low-pressure system is expected to develop over the western Caribbean Sea in the next couple of days. Environmental conditions are forecast to support gradual development, and a tropical depression or tropical storm could form by the middle of next week. The chance of formation is up to 50 percent over the next seven days.

The system is anticipated to move northwest into the Gulf of Mexico later in the week. From there, it is too early to tell where the system may eventually go or how strong it may be.

Forecast model projections are likely to fluctuate significantly between different models and from one update to the next until the system actually begins to form. Because of this uncertainty, there is currently little to no confidence in any specific outcome at this time.

The National Hurricane Center says residents in the northwestern Caribbean and along the U.S. Gulf Coast should keep a close eye on its progress.