ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center increased the chances a tropical wave that is moving into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday could develop into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.

As of the NHC’s 2 p.m. forecast, the system was over the Bay of Campeche with disorganized showers and thunderstorms but expected to interact with an area of low pressure’s front boundary in the next couple of days.

“Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for development, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the early or middle part of next week while the system moves generally northward near or along the Mexican and Texas Gulf coastline,” forecasters said. “Interests along the western Gulf of Mexico coast should closely monitor the progress of this system.”

The NHC gives it a 50% chance to develop in the next two days and 70% in the next seven.

The NHC also began tracking an area of low pressure in the central tropical Atlantic producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms.

“Gradual development of this system is possible while the system meanders during the next couple of days, and a tropical depression could form early next week,” forecasters said. “The system is then forecast to move west-northwestward at about 10 mph across the central tropical Atlantic during the middle to latter part of next week.”

The NHC gives it a 10% chance to develop in the next two days and 40% in the next seven.

And finally, the NHC was looking at an elongated trough of low pressure stretched out over the eastern and central Atlantic with a broad area of shower and thunderstorm activity several hundred miles east-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.

“Some slow development of this system is possible as it interacts with a tropical wave expected to move off the African continent early next week and moves west-northwestward at 5 to 10 mph,” forecasters said.

The NHC gives it a 20% chance to develop in the next seven days.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has had five named storms so far, but none since Hurricane Ernesto first formed on Aug. 12.

The next named storm could be Tropical Storm Francine.

The hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 with the climatologic peak on Sept. 10.

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