Hurricane expected to form in Gulf of Mexico

(CNN) – Forecasters expect a tropical system to rapidly intensify over the record-warm Gulf of Mexico this week and eventually become a hurricane.

For now, the National Hurricane Center has dubbed it “potential tropical cyclone nine.”

It could strengthen into hurricane Helene.

Hurricane and tropical storm watches will most likely be issued for the U.S. Golf Cost in the coming days.

Forecasters show a potential landfall in Florida’s big bend region, but anyone from Florida’s gulf coast to eastern Louisiana should be on alert this week.

The storm would be the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. this year, following hurricanes Beryl, Debby and Francine.