National Hurricane Center: Tropical Storm Imelda expected to form, possible U.S. impacts next week
Tropical Storm Imelda expected to form by the weekend
A system in the Atlantic, currently designated as Invest 94L, is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Imelda within the next 24 hours, with forecasters warning of possible impacts on the U.S. East Coast early next week.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A system in the Atlantic, currently designated as Invest 94L, is expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Imelda within the next 24 to 48 hours, with forecasters warning of possible impacts on the U.S. East Coast early next week. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is also tracking Tropical Storm Humberto and Post-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle as the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season heats up.
Here's the latest updates on what we know about the systems as we continue to track the tropics.
Invest 94L (Future Imelda)
What we know:
The NHC says a tropical wave centered near the Dominican Republic, known as Invest 94L, continues to produce widespread disorganized showers and thunderstorms. This system is expected to become better organized and will likely become Tropical Storm Imelda by Friday evening.
The wave is expected to move west-northwestward around 10–15 mph, spreading heavy rainfall and gusty winds across Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic through Thursday. The system is then expected to slow down and turn northwestward when it reaches the southwestern Atlantic.
What we don't know:
Meteorologists say two scenarios are possible.
In the first, Imelda could move northwest toward the Carolinas, potentially making landfall as a tropical storm or hurricane by Tuesday or Wednesday. That track could bring rough surf and gusty winds to Florida’s beaches.
The second scenario would see the storm pulled east of the Bahamas, looping back into the Atlantic behind Tropical Storm Humberto, which is to the east in the open Atlantic Ocean.
Either way, forecasters caution that cruise itineraries out of Port Canaveral may be disrupted.
"If you’re leaving Sunday, Monday or Tuesday for the Bahamas, you’re almost certainly going to have a delay, cancellation or reroute," FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Noah Bergren said.
The National Hurricane Center gave the system a 90% chance of development over the next seven days.
Interests in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Bahamas should monitor the progress of this system.
Local Impacts:
Locally, on Sunday and Monday, impacts are expected to feature a tropical system offshore of Daytona Beach anywhere from 125 to 250 miles, depending on exact track.
The closer it is, the worst the impacts. This could place our coast in reach of the outermost bands early next week, featuring gusty winds up to 40 mph in times of heavy rain bands, dangerous breaking waves and extreme rip current risk. We are on the clean slide, so we'd be spared from the worst, but not completely from all impacts. Erosion on the beach is possible during times of high tide.
Tropical Storm Humberto
What we know:
On Wednesday, Invest 93L became Tropical Storm Humberto.
As of Thursday evening, the NHC says Tropical Storm Humberto was located about 470 miles northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands.
Humberto was moving toward the northwest near 6 mph. A west-northwest to northwest motion is expected over the next several days with a slower forward speed.
Maximum sustained winds for the storm are near 60 mph with higher gusts. Steady strengthening is forecast during the next several days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure of the storm is 1000 mb.
Tropical Storm Humberto is expected to curve eastward out into the Atlantic Ocean At this point, Humberto is not expected to directly impact Florida or the Southeastern U.S.
What we don't know:
Tropical Storm Humberto is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane, but it remains to be seen how Humberto's intensity and path may be impacted by Invest 94L (future Tropical Storm Imelda).
Post-Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle
Gabrielle weakened into a post-tropical cyclone on Thursday as it trekked toward the Azores. The center of the storm will move across the Azores later tonight and early Friday, then approach the coast of Portugal by early Sunday.
The Azores sit some 850 miles off the coast of Portugal, and forecasters have warned people there to keep an eye on the forecast as Gabrielle moves closer to the archipelago in the North Atlantic.
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The storm poses no threat to Florida or the United States.
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. 25, 2025.