Huge tropical storm forming in the Gulf set to slam into US states within days
Huge tropical storm forming in the Gulf set to slam into US states within days
Falyn StemplerMon, October 5, 2026 at 8:26 PM UTC
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An area of low pressure could develop into a tropical storm -Credit:The Weather Channel
A tropical storm is likely to develop and bring heavy rain and wind to the Gulf Coast this week, meteorologists warn.
The potential storm could form as a result of an area of low pressure that has formed off the eastern coast of Mexico in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, renamed the Gulf of America by the Trump administration, according to The Weather Channel.
The storm, which will be named Tropical Storm Isaias if it forms, is the ninth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which has yielded zero hurricanes so far, marking the longest stretch without a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since 1914.
Meteorologists say that the tropical storm will form if winds reach at least 39 miles per hour. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said there is a 70% chance that the tropical storm will develop.
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"We are closely monitoring a mass of showers and thunderstorms in the Bay of Campeche this week," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Meteorologist Alex DaSilva said. "There is a high chance this mass will overcome wind shear enough and evolve into a tropical depression or storm. At the very least, this should become a tropical rainstorm.
"Due to prevailing steering winds, the most likely path would be to the north-northeast toward the U.S. later this week with landfall along the central Gulf Coast this weekend. A dip in the jet stream should steer the system north-northeastward toward the central Gulf Coast," she continued.
The area of low pressure will likely become a tropical storm -Credit:The Weather Channel
"The other, less likely, possibility is the storm tracks into Mexico, missing that pickup by the jet stream later this week. Based on climatology of El Niño years, there has never been a landfall in Texas during October, November and December due to prevailing westerly jet stream winds."
Residents can expect a tropical depression to form as soon as Wednesday before traveling toward the Gulf Coast, according to the American Global Forecast System. However, it is too soon to predict the storm's exact path, meteorologists have said.
The weather system could either never come to fruition or develop into a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, according to The Washington Post. Coastal residents have been warned to prepare for potential flooding from the heavy rain.
Tropical Storm Isaias could form in the Gulf this week -Credit:The Weather Channel
Chances of rain and wind are expected to rise by Friday from the upper Texas coast to the Florida panhandle, according to The Weather Channel.
“If you’re near the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, monitor the latest forecast for this system and have your hurricane plans ready to go, just in case,” The Weather Channel said. “Despite one of the least active hurricane seasons in years, that doesn’t mean an impactful storm can’t happen this late in the season.”
Source: “AOL Breaking”
