Article first published: Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, 4 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, 1 p.m. ET

System type: Tropical storm

System name: Imelda

At 1 p.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that Imelda after it first crossed the Atlantic Ocean and left The Bahamas and headed to the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Imelda is in the Atlantic Ocean, 55 miles north of Great Abaco Island and 220 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral Florida. The system, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, is moving to the north at 9 mph.

“On Tuesday, Imelda is expected to turn sharply to the east-northeast”, according to meteorologists. “On the forecast track, the center of the system is expected to start moving away from the northwestern Bahamas this afternoon and then turn east-northeastward, moving away from the southeastern U.S. but approach the island of Bermuda by the middle part of this week.” They also said “Additional strengthening is forecasted over the next several days, and Imelda is forecast to become a hurricane on Tuesday.”

Yesterday (Sunday)

The system strengthened enough to get a name: Tropical Storm Imelda. It found new strength and had evolved from a tropical depression into a tropical storm with sustained winds of 40 mph. The system’s new name was first made public in yesterday’s 1 p.m. advisory.

Watches and warnings currently in effect

• Tropical Storm Warning for Portions of the Northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, the Abacos, Grand Bahama Island and the surrounding keys.

Meaning of the different watches and warnings

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area in this case within 12 hours.

Interests in Bermuda should monitor the progress of Imelda. Hurricane watches could be required for the island as soon as this afternoon.

Hazards affecting land

Wind. Tropical storm conditions are occuring in portions of the northwestern Bahamas and should continue through the afternoon.

Rainfall. Tropical Storm Imelda is expected to produce total rainfall of 4 to 8 inches across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday. This rainfall will likely produce flash and urban flooding.

Storm total rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches with local maxima of 4 inches are expected through Tuesday across northeast Florida, coastal South Carolina, and coastal sections of southeast North Carolina. This rainfall could result in isolated flash and urban flooding.

As Imelda passes near Bermuda, 2 to 4 inches – 50 to 100 mm – of rainfall is expected from Wednesday into Thursday.

For a complete forecast of rainfall and flash flooding associated with Tropical Storm Imelda, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?ero

Storm surge. A storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 1 to 3 feet above ground level along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds in the northwestern Bahamas. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large waves.

Minor coastal flooding is possible in areas of onshore winds over the Southeastern U.S. coastline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the surge occurs over the next several high tide cycles…

Volusia/Brevard County Line, Florida to the South Santee River, South Carolina…1 to 2 ft

Surf. Swells generated by Tropical Storm Imelda and Hurricane Humberto are affecting the Bahamas and will spread to much of the east coast of the U.S. early this week. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?ripCurrents

Source: National Hurricane Center