The National Hurricane Center said a disturbance in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico will likely become a tropical depression or tropical storm later today or Sunday as it drifts toward the Florida coast.

The disturbance called Invest 92L is a broad area of low pressure with scattered bands of thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center said the system is expected to become better organized in the coming days.

The National Hurricane Center said there is a 70% chance of it forming into a tropical depression or tropical storm by early Monday, and a 90% of it forming into a depression or storm by Thursday.

RELATED STORY | Taking stock of Helene's toll on Asheville, North Carolina

"The system is likely to strengthen and could become a hurricane while it moves eastward or northeastward over the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico early next week," the National Hurricane Center said. "There is an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the Florida Peninsula beginning as soon as late Tuesday or Wednesday."

The system could strike a storm-weary region still cleaning up from the damage left by Hurricane Helene.

"Regardless of development, locally heavy rains could occur over portions of Mexico during the next day or two, and over much of Florida late this weekend through the middle of next week," the National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

RELATED STORY | Displaced residents grappling with Helene's aftermath

The next tropical storm in the Atlantic would be given the name Milton.