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Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, Hurricane Humberto churning in Atlantic
A tropical system developed on Friday off the eastern coast of Cuba, prompting storm alerts for parts of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The disturbance, previously designated Invest 94L, is now classified as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, and it could soon become Tropical Storm Imelda.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A tropical system developed on Friday off the eastern coast of Cuba, prompting storm alerts for parts of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The disturbance, previously designated Invest 94L, is now classified as Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, and it could soon become Tropical Storm Imelda.
Here's the latest updates on the systems as we continue to track the tropics.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine
What we know:
Late Friday evening, the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine was about 145 miles northwest of Cuba’s eastern tip and roughly 145 miles south of the central Bahamas.
The system had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, with higher gusts, and was moving northwest at 9 mph.
Watches and warnings
The government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm warning for the central Bahamas, including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador. A tropical storm watch was posted for parts of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, New Providence, the Abacos, Berry Islands and Grand Bahama Island.
A warning means tropical storm conditions are expected in the area within 36 hours. A watch indicates conditions are possible within 48 hours.
Forecast track, local impacts
What's next:
Forecasters said gradual strengthening is expected. The system could become a tropical depression Saturday and a tropical storm by Saturday night or early Sunday. The hurricane center gave it a 90% chance of formation within 48 hours and through the next week.
On its current path, the center of the system is forecast to track across the central and northwestern Bahamas this weekend before approaching the southeast U.S. coast early next week.
Meteorologists said Florida’s east coast may begin to feel indirect effects as soon as Friday night or Saturday, even if the system does not make direct landfall. If it strengthens as expected, it could become Tropical Storm Imelda.
"While there is not a direct impact, we’re still going to be feeling those indirect effects from what could be Imelda as soon as Friday night or sometime Saturday as it continues to kind of follow up the East Coast," FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Laurel Blanchard said. "Things are still a little bit up in the air."
Blanchard added that the storm remains disorganized off Cuba but is likely to gain structure as it moves over the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Humberto intensified into a Category 4 storm late Friday. Forecasters said its position in the Atlantic could influence the track of Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine.
"We’re going to continue to see Humberto strengthen to a possible Category 4 storm and continue to make its way in between the Carolina coastline and Bermuda," Blanchard said.
Hurricane Humberto
What we know:
Late Friday evening, the NHC said Hurricane Humberto reached winds of 145 mph, making it a Category 4 storm. Humberto is now the third Atlantic hurricane and eighth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.
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Humberto was located about 390 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands. Humberto is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph. A slow west-northwest to northwest motion is expected during the next couple of days.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the Center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 940 mb.
What's next:
Significant strengthening is forecast, and Humberto is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend. By the start of next week, forecasters said, Humberto could have wind speeds of at least 115 mph.
As of the latest forecast track, Humberto is expected to curve out to sea hundreds of miles from the U.S. East Coast.
Post-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle
What we know:
A Hurricane Warning remains in place for the Azores as what was Hurricane Gabrielle continues to barrel across the Atlantic toward the islands and European coastline, now as a post-tropical cyclone.
A post-tropical cyclone is a cyclone that no longer possesses tropical characteristics that define a hurricane, such as a warm core, according to the NHC. But called a hurricane or not, these storms continue to pose significant threats with heavy rain and high winds.
Forecasters say Gabrielle still had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was located roughly 245 miles east-northeast of the Azores, moving off to the east at a rather fast rate of 312 mph.
What's next:
Steady weakening is expected over the next few days, as the storm moves away from the Azores yet remains a powerful post-tropical cyclone.
Gabrielle even has the potential to reach Portugal by early Sunday as it's expected to pick up even more forward speed over the next few days, followed by a slower eastward to east-southeastward motion this weekend.
2025 Atlantic hurricane season
Big picture view:
The peak of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was on Sept. 10, but the most active months are typically August, September and October.
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The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through Nov. 30.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the National Hurricane Center (NHC), FOX Weather and the FOX 35 Storm Team on Sept. 26, 2025.