The tropical system to be named Milton was expected to become possibly a major hurricane and head toward the western coast of the Florida Peninsula.

The storm is forecast to strengthen and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of Florida’s West Coast next week, with hurricane and storm-surge watches likely being in effect Sunday.

Forecasters say a storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico that is likely to become a tropical storm could intensify into a hurricane that could impact parts of Florida in the coming days

The National Hurricane Center was also tracking two strengthening named storms in the mid-Atlantic, Hurricane Kirk and Tropical Storm Leslie.

A tropical or subtropical depression or storm could form next week. Another possibility: development of a compact hurricane.

Less than 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the state is bracing for another potentially devastating blow from a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Milton is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida with possible impacts to the state's western coast.