The Hurricane Center is issuing a warning as two storms could merge in the Gulf of Mexico

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm warning Thursday morning as a cyclone in the Pacific Ocean is expected to merge with another disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Atlantic hurricane season has grown rapidly over the past month, with Hurricane Helene making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane. Helene’s wrath caused devastation in several states, including catastrophic flooding across North Carolina. According to the Associated Press, the death toll from the devastating storm stood at 200 at the time of publication.

Meteorologists have recently turned their attention to the disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, which the NHC forecast has a 30 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical storm within seven days. In the Pacific, storm Tropical Depression Eleven-E is approaching Mexico and is expected to pass over the country before merging with the Gulf system. According to the warning, tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in Mexico on Thursday and continue through Friday.

The NHC has been monitoring Eleven-E since Monday. After the storm made landfall, an NHC spokesman said Newsweek, The system is expected to slow down quickly.

“After landfall, the system is expected to weaken quickly and the remnants will eventually be absorbed into the large area of ​​disturbed weather conditions forming over the western Gulf of Mexico,” the spokesman said, adding that Eleven-E “is likely to develop.” “It’s time to resolve the case” after crossing the mountains of Mexico.

“Regardless of whether intensification occurs, the main threat remains the heavy rains that will continue in parts of southern Mexico over the next day or two,” the spokesman added.

Meteorologists have also warned that the disturbance in the Gulf is merging with the Pacific storm. The Gulf Storm remains disorganized, but if conditions adjust, the storm could strengthen into a tropical storm or worse and impact the Gulf Coast states. The forecast and timing of this system remain uncertain.

AccuWeather senior hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said earlier Newsweek that forecasters were more worried about the disturbance in the Gulf last week, but the storm’s energy doesn’t appear to be as consolidated right now, meaning it’s not as likely to develop into a major hurricane.

Regardless of intensification, the Gulf storm is expected to bring heavy rain to Florida, such as the Tampa Bay area, this weekend. The heavy rain could hamper Helene’s recovery efforts.

Hurricane Kirk and Tropical Storm Leslie have also formed and are brewing in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the United States. The two, which are expected to continue to strengthen, will remain at sea.