Tropical Storm Gordon, the seventh named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, has emerged far out in the open ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 5 p.m. ET Friday, the storm is currently approximately 2,500 miles away from the U.S. East Coast and is moving to the west-northwest at a speed of 10 mph.

Although still far from land, the official forecast track from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Gordon will move west across the open Atlantic in the coming days, and there is a possibility of the storm weakening to a tropical depression. Most computer models suggest that Gordon will eventually veer away from North America and curve out to sea.

Meanwhile, another named storm, Francine, has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone. However, it continues to pose a threat by pelting heavy rain across parts of the Southeast and Tennessee Valley.

At its current location, Tropical Storm Gordon is approximately 1,045 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The storm is expected to continue its west-northwest movement before turning westward later tonight. Its forward speed will likely slow down over the weekend.

The National Hurricane Center anticipates slight strengthening in the storm today, but a weakening trend is expected to commence on Saturday. It is still uncertain whether Gordon will intensify into a hurricane, as no such prediction has been made thus far. If it does become a hurricane, it would join the ranks of Beryl, Debby, Ernesto, and Francine as the fifth hurricane of the season.

Notably, Gordon is only the second named storm to form since August 12, highlighting a recent period of relative calm in the Atlantic. According to Phil Klotzbach from Colorado State University, the last time only one named storm formed between August 13 and September 12 was back in 1997.

This year's Atlantic hurricane season was expected to be highly active, with some predictions indicating the potential for up to 33 named storms. However, with only seven named storms so far, the season has yet to reach its projected activity level.

In addition to monitoring Gordon's progress, forecasters are also keeping an eye on an area of disturbed weather near the U.S. Southeast coast. This system, located just off the coast, could potentially develop into a tropical or subtropical storm next week. The National Hurricane Center emphasized the possibility of subtropical or tropical development as the system drifts to the north or northwest.

There is also another disturbance spinning in the open Atlantic, but it currently has a near 0% chance of developing, as stated by the National Hurricane Center on Friday.