ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for a system that is approaching the Carolina coast on Monday while Tropical Depression Gordon has lost steam in the Atlantic.

As of the NHC’s 8 a.m. advisory, what is now called Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, was located about 85 miles south of Cape Fear, North Carolina and 100 miles east of Charleston, South Carolina with sustained winds of 50 mph as it heads northwest at 3 mph.

The system could become Tropical Storm Helene before landfall.

The NHC has issued a tropical storm warning for Edisto Beach, S.C. north to Ocracoke Inlet, N.C.

“A faster motion toward the northwest is expected today and Tuesday, followed by a gradual turn toward the north by Wednesday,” forecasters said.

It should reach the coast of South Carolina on Monday afternoon and then move inland across the Carolinas through Wednesday.

“Little change in strength is expected before the system reaches the coast, and the low still has a chance of becoming a tropical orsubtropical storm,” forecasters said. “Weakening is forecast after the system moves inland, and it is likely to dissipate over the Carolinas by late Wednesday.”

The NHC gives the system a 60% chance of developing into a tropical storm in the next two days.

Whether it develops or not, tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from the center. A sustained wind of 35 mph and a gust to 40 mph were recently reported at Cape Lookout, N.C.

The system could bring 1-3 feet of storm surge from the South Santee River, S.C. to Oregon Inlet, N.C as well as the Neuse, Bay, Pamlico and Pungo rivers.

And 4-8 inches with some areas getting as much as 10 inches of rain is forecast across portions of northeast South Carolina into southeast North Carolina into Monday night and another 2-4 inches with some isolated areas getting up to 6 inches across the remainder of North Carolina through Tuesday.

Another 1-3 inches are forecast for Virginia through Wednesday, rainfall that could lead to flash and urban flooding as well as minor river flooding, the NHC stated.

There is also a threat of tornadoes through Monday evening across the eastern Carolinas.

Meanwhile in the Atlantic, what had been Tropical Storm Gordon lost steam, but remains a tropical depression.

As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory, the system was located 1,020 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands with 30 mph sustained winds as it moves west at 8 mph.

“A westward motion is expected during the next day or so, with Gordon forecast to slow down considerably through the middle of theweek,” forecasters said. “Little change in strength is forecast during the next couple of days, though Gordon could become a post-tropical remnant low at any time.”

It is no threat to land.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has so far produced four hurricanes and three tropical storms with the potential for a fourth. The season runs from June 1-Nov. 30.

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