Maps show Tropical Storm Imelda as it’s forecast to become hurricane

Tropical Storm Imelda is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane Tuesday, but maps show it moving away from the southeastern U.S., according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

Imelda is the ninth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed Sunday in the western Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Imelda forecast maps

As of 5 a.m. Monday, Imelda was bringing tropical storm conditions and heavy rain to the central and northwestern Bahamas, according to the NHC. The storm’s center was about 60 miles south of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and 295 miles southeast  of Cape Canaveral, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

“On the forecast track,” the hurricane center said, Imelda’s center “is expected to move across the northwestern Bahamas today and then turn east-northeastward, moving away from the southeastern U.S. by the middle part of this week. … Gradual strengthening is forecast and Imelda could become a hurricane on Tuesday.”

Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches with up to 4 inches are expected through Tuesday across northeast Florida, coastal South Carolina, and coastal sections of southeast North Carolina.

Swells generated by Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto are affecting the Bahamas and will spread to much of the U.S. East Coast early this week, the center added, warning that they’re “likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”

Tropical storm warnings and watches for Imelda

The Bahamas government discontinued the tropical storm warning for all of the central Bahamas and parts of the northwestern Bahamas. 

A tropical storm watch was in place for Bermuda Monday morning, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible there within the next 48 hours.

A tropical storm watch that had been issued for part of Florida’s east coast, from the Palm Beach-Martin County line to the Flagler-Volusia County line, was canceled Sunday afternoon.

Imelda follows Hurricane Humberto

Imelda came on the heels of Hurricane Humberto, which rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Atlantic on Saturday but is not expected to reach land. Humberto reached as high as a Category 5 on Saturday before fluctuating back down to Category 4.

Forecasters said last week there was a small possibility the two systems could interact, creating what is known as a Fujiwhara effect, a rare phenomenon in which two different storms merge and become entangled around a newly formed, common center. However, they said it wasn’t considered a likely outcome in this case.

Emily Mae Czachor

contributed to this report.