The Gulf Coast is bracing for the potential of a significant hurricane landfall later this week, as what will likely become a tropical storm — and then potentially Hurricane Helene — is organizing in the Caribbean Sea.

The National Hurricane Center labeled a tropical disturbance southwest of the Cayman Islands as Potential Tropical Cyclone #9 Monday. Although the storm has not yet officially formed, forecasters have issued an official forecast track as well as watches and warnings for the system.

As of Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service is forecasting a track that will take the center of the storm into the bend of the Florida panhandle and into southern Georgia. The current track has the storm in the Bulloch County area Thursday night and into Friday and the NWS is forecasting possible tropical storm conditions for the area for that period.

The NWS forecast cautioned that the track of the storm may change in the coming days.

The storm was poorly organized Monday afternoon, but is expected organize quickly on Tuesday, when it will likely become Tropical Storm Helene. 

Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect for portions of western Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico as the storm strengthens further by the middle of the week.

Helene is expected to accelerate toward the eastern Gulf Coast on Wednesday, trekking over record-warm water in the Gulf of Mexico that would intensify the storm. 

Brian McNoldy, senior research associate at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, recently noted that ocean heat content in the Gulf of Mexico is the highest on record. Warm water is a necessary ingredient to strengthen tropical systems. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 41 counties ahead of the storm's approach.