ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Hurricane Center said a new tropical depression could form by Friday night over the Bahamas with increased chances it will affect the U.S coast while Hurricane Humberto formed in the Atlantic and what had been Hurricane Gabrielle bore down on the Azores.

As of the NHC’s 8 a.m. tropical outlook, a tropical wave dubbed Invest 94L had showers and thunderstorms with more signs of organization moving near Hispaniola and the Turks and Caicos islands.

“An area of low pressure is expected to form along the wave today when it moves near the southeast Bahamas. This low is expected to become a tropical depression when it is in the vicinity of the central and northwest Bahamas later today or over the weekend, and then track northwestward or northward over the southwestern Atlantic,” forecasters said.

Heavy rains and gusty winds will continue over the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos and expected to spread into the Bahamas an eastern Cuba over the weekend.

“While there is significant uncertainty in the long-range track and intensity of the system, the chances of wind, rainfall, and storm surge impacts for a portion of the southeast U.S. coast during the next several days are increasing,” forecasters said.

The NHC gave it an 80% chance to develop in the next two days, and 90% in the next seven.

If it were to spin up into what would be the season’s ninth tropical cyclone, it could form into Tropical Storm Imelda.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne said hazardous conditions are becoming more likely next week off the coast of Florida.

“Poor to hazardous beach and boating conditions are forecast to develop into early next week, as the system moves parallel to the Florida peninsula,” the NWS stated. “Residents and visitors should continue to monitor this system and take the opportunity to ensure their emergency plan is ready.”

The busy tropics of late also saw the formation of the eighth named system on Wednesday when Tropical Storm Humberto developed in the Atlantic. It has since become the season’s third hurricane, and is forecast to grow in a major hurricane that could threaten Bermuda.

As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory Friday, the center of the storm was located about 465 miles northeast of the Caribbean’s northern Leeward Islands moving northwest at 6 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.

Hurricane-force winds extend out 10 miles while tropical-storm-force winds extend out 90 miles from its center.

“A slow west-northwest to northwest motion is expected during the next couple of days,” forecasters said. “Significant strengthening is forecast, and Humberto is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend.”

For now, it is no threat to land, but the five-day forecast path includes Bermuda within the cone of uncertainty.

As for Hurricane Gabrielle, it transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone Thursday as it bore down on the Azores, which remained under a hurricane warning.

As of the NHC’s 5 a.m. advisory Friday, the storm still had 65 mph sustained winds and is located about 145 miles east-northeast of Faial Island in the central Azores, headed east-northeast at 29 mph.

Tropical-storm force winds extend out 160 miles.

“On the forecast track, the center of post-tropical Gabrielle will start moving away from the Azores during the next few hours, then approach the coast of Portugal by early Sunday,” forecasters said. “Little change in strength is likely through tonight, but gradual weakening should begin on Saturday.”

The climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season was on Sept. 10, but 60% of annual activity has historically happened after this date, the NHC stated.

The only other hurricane this season had been Hurricane Erin, which grew into a massive Category 5 system with 160 mph winds but remained in the Atlantic without making landfall.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in early August updated its season forecast to call for 13-18 named storms this year, of which five to nine would grow into hurricanes. Two to five of those would develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

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