This system, currently a broad trough of low pressure with disorganized showers and thunderstorms extending from the southwestern Caribbean Sea into the southern Gulf of Mexico, could bring significant rainfall to the area.

According to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. tropical outlook, environmental conditions in the Gulf of Mexico are conducive to gradual development of this system. Forecasters predict a 40% chance that it could evolve into a tropical depression over the weekend as it advances into the Gulf. "Interests along the U.S. Gulf Coast should continue to monitor the progress of this system," they advised.

Meanwhile, other weather activities continued to develop in the Atlantic. Tropical Depression Thirteen formed a few hundred miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. As of 11 a.m., TD 13 was located 430 miles southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands, moving west at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Forecasters expect TD 13 to strengthen into a tropical storm by tonight, potentially earning the name Tropical Storm Leslie.

In parallel, Hurricane Kirk is intensifying in the Atlantic. At the 5 a.m. advisory, Kirk was situated approximately 1,200 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands and 1,280 miles east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles, moving northwest at 14 mph with sustained winds of 80 mph, classifying it as a Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend 30 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend 195 miles outward.

Forecasters anticipate that Hurricane Kirk will gain additional strength over the next few days, potentially becoming a major hurricane by Thursday. If this happens, Kirk would be the third major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Beryl and Helene.

This season, running from June 1 to November 30, has already seen 12 official storms, including six hurricanes, four tropical storms, a tropical depression, and one potential tropical cyclone that did not fully form before making landfall. Following Leslie, the next name on the naming list for storms will be Milton.