The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for parts of the Florida Panhandle as Tropical Depression Two forms in the Gulf of Mexico and is predicted to strengthen in the coming days.
The second tropical depression to form in the Atlantic hurricane basin during the 2026 hurricane season has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is predicted to strengthen in the coming days, placing several Southern states in the potential impact zone as forecasters closely monitor its track and development.
The National Hurricane Center said the system was producing sustained winds of 30 mph late on Sunday and is expected to become a tropical storm as it moves near the northern Gulf Coast this week. The system could bring tropical-storm-force winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and coastal impacts to portions of the Gulf Coast.
The NHC has already issued a Tropical Storm Watch for parts of the Florida Panhandle, and officials have warned that additional watches may be needed for areas further west. Tropical Depression Two is moving slowly over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The depression is caught between areas of high pressure over the western Atlantic and the south-central United States, resulting in a sluggish north-northwest motion that is expected to continue before the system turns west later this week. Forecasters expect gradual strengthening despite challenges including wind shear and pockets of dry air. The NHC forecasts that the depression could become a tropical storm on Monday. If it reaches tropical-storm strength, it will be named Bertha.
However, the center of the system is expected to remain over the Gulf of Mexico rather than move inland across the Florida Panhandle. The exact intensity remains uncertain. Some forecast models suggest the system could weaken due to unfavorable atmospheric conditions, while others indicate stronger development over the warm Gulf waters. The NHC said confidence in the intensity forecast remains lower than usual because of those competing factors.
The greatest, most immediate concern is along the northern parts of the Gulf Coast. The NHC warned that tropical-storm conditions could begin affecting portions of the Florida Panhandle as early as Monday night.
Meanwhile, residents in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas have been advised to closely monitor forecasts as the tropical storm warnings could be expanded westward over the next several days. Residents in flood-prone locations should be prepared for rapidly changing conditions as bands of heavy rain move onshore. Even if the system remains weak, slow-moving tropical systems can produce significant rainfall and localized flooding well away from their center.
Forecasters expect the system to track near the northern Gulf Coast through midweek, as officials continue monitoring whether Tropical Depression Two could strengthen into the Atlantic hurricane season's next named storm
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