Tracker: Storm approaching in the Gulf of Mexico
Millions of people along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida are being urged to prepare.
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According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane and storm surge warnings were issued for portions of Florida’s Gulf Coast Tuesday morning as potential Tropical Cyclone Nine continues to approach the Florida coast.
According to the hurricane center’s 8 a.m. ET warning, the storm was located about 150 miles west of Grand Cayman with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. The system is moving northwest at about 9 mph, and that motion is expected to continue through Tuesday night, followed by a faster north-northeast motion on Wednesday and Thursday, the NHC said.
“The center of the system is expected to move across the northwestern Caribbean tonight and then across the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday,” the NHC warning said.
It is expected to strengthen over the next few days. The system is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday and continue to strengthen on Thursday as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to the hurricane center. The next named storm of the 2024 hurricane season is Helene.
Live weather updates: Hurricane warning for Florida’s Gulf Coast
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Watch and warnings apply to Florida
According to the National Hurricane Center, a storm surge warning has been issued from Indian Pass south to Bonita Beach, Florida, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
A hurricane warning has been issued for the Florida Gulf Coast from Englewood northward and westward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay.
A tropical storm warning has been issued for Florida’s Gulf Coast from Indian Pass to the Walton-Bay County line and from north of Bonita Beach to south of Englewood.
Possible tracker for Tropical Cyclone Nine
Potential tropical cyclone: Nine spaghetti models
The figures show a range of forecasting tools and models, and not all are the same. The Hurricane Center uses only the four or five best performing models for its forecasts.
NHC tracks another system in the Atlantic
The hurricane center also announced on Tuesday that it was continuing to track another tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands.
According to the NHC, rain and thunderstorm activity associated with the wave has “increased significantly since yesterday,” and environmental conditions appear favorable for the gradual development of this system.
According to the NHC, “a tropical depression is likely to form within a few days” as the system moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. There is an 80 percent chance that the system will form within the next seven days.
This story has been updated to add new information.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on X. @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].
