Article first published: Monday, July 20, 2026, 4 a.m. ET

System type: Tropical depression

At 4 a.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center published its initial advisory of the day on the system, stating that the tropical depression is in the Gulf of Mexico, 120 miles south of Panama City, Florida and 220 miles southeast of Mobile Alabama. It is moving to the northwest at 3 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

The tropical depression is expected to become a tropical storm. Forecasters alert of a tropical storm watch extended for to Mississippi/alabama Border.

Forecasters issued a tropical storm watch for the Florida Panhandle.

Changes with this advisory

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the Alabama Gulf coast from the Florida border to the Mississippi border.

Watch currently in effect

Tropical Storm Watch for Ochlockonee River to the MS/AL border

Meaning of the watch

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Additional tropical storm watches or warnings will likely be required over the next day or two.

Hazards affecting land

Wind. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by tonight into Tuesday.

Storm surge. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

Indian Pass to Chassahowitzka, FL…1 to 3 ft MS/AL Border to AL/FL Border…1 to 3 ft Mobile Bay…1 to 3 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?peakSurge.

Rainfall. The tropical depression is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher totals around 6 inches through Friday along the Gulf Coast and adjacent inland locations from western Florida to the Middle Texas Coast, including southern portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This rainfall may produce areas of flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

For a complete forecast of rainfall associated with Tropical Depression Two, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.

Surf. Swells generated by the depression are affecting portions of the Gulf coast of Florida and are likely to spread westward during the 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_at2.shtml?ripCurrents

Source: National Hurricane Center