Hurricane models are showing increasingly high chances that a tropical cyclone could form somewhere in the western Caribbean Sea or southern Gulf of Mexico as early as next week, and forecasters are encouraging Gulf Coast residents to stay vigilant through the remainder of the 2024 season.

The next tropical threat to the U.S. is brewing in the Caribbean as there are increasing signs that the ingredients needed for a tropical storm or even a hurricane are coming together.

Record-warm ocean heat is lingering in the Gulf and Caribbean, but it’s too soon to tell where the likely system could strike, experts say.