Tropical Storm Isaias
Tropical Storm Isaias is currently being investigated by the Air Force Hurricane Hunters. At 7:00 PM CDT, Isaias was located at 22.8N 92.4W, about 200 miles WNW of Progreso, Mexico, and 480 miles SSW of the Mississippi River. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is moving ENE at 8 mph. A Hurricane Watch is in effect from Bay St. Louis to Indian Pass, and a Storm Surge Watch is in effect from the Mississippi River to Yankeetown. Isaias is expected to become a hurricane by Thursday, with further strengthening expected. Isaias is forecasted to make landfall along the U.S. northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.
In an exciting development for high school sports, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has announced its Thursday night football games lineup for the upcoming week. This decision comes as a strategic move to accommodate teams and fans who may be impacted by inclement weather conditions anticipated over the weekend. The initiative highlights the association's commitment to ensuring the safety and convenience of athletes and supporters while sustaining the momentum of high school football enthusiasm across the state.
In broader regional weather developments, Tropical Storm Isaias is projected to escalate into a hurricane, posing a significant threat to the Gulf Coast by the weekend. Despite concerns about potential adverse weather conditions, the much-anticipated Alabama vs. Georgia game remains scheduled. Organizers are closely monitoring the situation, prepared to make necessary adjustments should the storm's trajectory impact the safety and participation in the event. This unpredictable storm illustrates the ongoing challenges faced by event planners and residents in the Gulf Coast amidst a dynamic storm season.
Tropical Storm Isaias is currently situated near 22.7N 92.9W, approximately 200 nm west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico. The storm is moving east-northeast at 7 knots, with maximum sustained winds of 55 knots and gusts up to 65 knots. It is anticipated to become a hurricane by Thursday morning, with further strengthening expected. Isaias is projected to pass north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday and make landfall along the U.S. northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. Swells affecting the Yucatan Peninsula will extend northward, creating hazardous surf and rip current conditions.
Information on other tropical systems includes a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic near 21W and another in the Caribbean near 71W, both moving westward. Moderate to locally strong winds are reported in conjunction with these tropical waves, affecting regional weather patterns. Additionally, the Gulf of America is experiencing a 1008 mb low near 27N86W, contributing to fresh to strong winds and influencing weather conditions across the area.
The monsoon trough and ITCZ are contributing to scattered convection in their respective regions, while the overall weak pressure gradient over the western Atlantic is maintaining generally moderate winds and seas. Forecasts suggest a strengthening of the trade winds over the central Caribbean towards the weekend as high pressure redevelops SE of Bermuda.
In the Atlantic, a cold front is currently west of 55W, and the Azores high is dominating the eastern Atlantic, resulting in moderate to fresh winds. Conditions are expected to evolve with the movement of Tropical Cyclone Isaias and the development of high pressure southeast of Bermuda, which will affect wind and sea patterns over the upcoming days.
October 8, 2026, at 12:15 AM EDTThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2025.
Named Storms: 8 to 14
Hurricanes: 3 to 6
Major Hurricanes (Category 3 or higher): 1 to 3
Accumulate Cyclone Energy (ACE): 95% to 180% of the median
Primary Influencing Factor: Developing El Niño conditions expected to suppress Atlantic storm activity
This forecast indicates:
Despite the lower forecast, NOAA emphasizes that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to create a major disaster, and residents in hurricane-prone areas should still prepare as usual for the season.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30Key: Active Past Future
*Press/click the storm name to view additional detailsDespite fewer total storms than forecasted, the 2025 season produced several extremely intense hurricanes, including three Category 5 systems, making it one of the more powerful Atlantic seasons in recent history.
2020 - 30 named storms, 14 hurricanes
Hurricane Katrina (2005) - $125 billion
Harvey (2017) - $125 billion
Hurricane Patricia (2015) - 215 mph (345 km/h)
Hurricane Allen (1980) - 190 mph (305 km/h)
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating system that classifies hurricanes based on their sustained wind speeds and the potential damage they can cause. It helps communicate the intensity of hurricanes and the likely impacts on structures and environments. The scale does not account for factors like storm surge or rainfall, focusing only on wind speeds.
Watching the Tropics was originally built as a personal storm tracker with only the most important charts for the Atlantic hurricane basin. Numerous sites are available for tracking hurricanes, but Watching the Tropics minimizes extra "noise" and shows only what you need.
Designed in Florida by
"Watching the tropics" refers to monitoring tropical weather systems, such as tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes, in regions close to the equator. Meteorologists and weather enthusiasts often use this phrase during hurricane season to indicate that they're keeping an eye on developing weather systems that could potentially strengthen and impact areas like the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean.
Websites, news outlets, or weather services also use "Tropics Watch" to keep the public informed about the latest developments in the tropics, especially during peak hurricane season.
An "invest" refers to an area of disturbed weather that meteorologists are investigating for potential tropical development. The term "invest" is short for "investigation area."
When an area is designated as an invest, it is given a number (between 90 and 99) followed by the letter "L" for systems in the North Atlantic or "E" for systems in the Eastern Pacific. For example, "Invest 91L" would refer to the 91st area of interest in the Atlantic basin for that season.
The designation of an invest allows meteorologists to focus their resources on a specific area, utilize specialized forecasting models, and issue updates as needed.
A tropical depression is a type of tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of less than 39 mph (34 knots or 63 km/h).
Key characteristics:
It's the first stage of development in the tropical cyclone classification used by the National Hurricane Center, followed by tropical storm and then hurricane.
