ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center on Thursday increased odds that a developing system could head into the Gulf of Mexico and become a tropical depression or storm, while it also kept tabs on two systems in the Atlantic.

As of its 8 a.m. tropical outlook, a broad area of low pressure is forecast to form by early next week over the western and northwestern Caribbean Sea.

“Thereafter, gradual development of this system is possible, and a tropical depression could form as the system moves slowly to the north or northwest over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southern Gulf of Mexico through the middle part of next week,” forecasters said.

The NHC upped its odds to 40% the system will develop in the next seven days.

If it were to spin up into a named storm, it could become Tropical Storm Helene.

“It is too early to know what, if any, impacts to the Florida peninsula there will be,” the National Weather Service in Melbourne stated. “Now is a great time to ensure your hurricane plan is in place.”

The NHC was also tracking two systems with a low chance of development in the Atlantic.

That includes the remnants of what had been Tropical Storm Gordon, which is now an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms in the central subtropical Atlantic.

“Some development of this system is possible while it moves generally northward over the next several days,” forecasters said.

The NHC gave the system a 20% chance of development in the next two days and 30% in the next seven, odds that have dropped since Wednesday.

The NHC began tracking a new system, though, in the central and western subtropical Atlantic.

The area of low pressure was located about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda with disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Environmental conditions appear only marginally conducive, but some development of this system is possible while it meanders over theopen waters of the central or western Subtropical Atlantic though early next week,” forecasters said.

The NHC gave it a 10% chance to develop in the next two days and 20% in the next seven.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has had seven named storms so far including four hurricanes and three tropical storms.

The season runs from June 1-Nov. 30 with the height of storm formation traditionally running from mid-August into October.

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