Article first published: Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, 4 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, 4 p.m. ET

System type: Tropical storm

System name: Imelda

At 4 p.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that the weather system gained sufficient intensity to be named Imelda. The tropical depression was upgraded to a tropical storm with winds of 40 mph. The name gain was first reported in the 1 p.m. update. Tropical Storm Imelda is in the Atlantic Ocean, 55 miles south-southwest of the Northwest Bahamas and 355 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral Florida. The system, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, is moving north at 9 mph.

“On Tuesday, Imelda is expected to turn sharply to the east-northeast”, according to analysts. “On the forecast track, the center of the system is expected to move across the central and northwestern Bahamas this afternoon and tonight and then turn east-northeastward, moving away from the southeastern U.S. by the middle part of this week.” They also said “Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and Imelda is forecast to become a hurricane by late Monday or Tuesday.”

Today, the system strengthened into a tropical storm, which was enough to get a name: Tropical Storm Imelda. The 1 p.m. report was the first to confirm the system’s new name.

Yesterday (Saturday)

Imelda became a tropical depression with sustained winds of 40 mph after intensifying from a potential tropical cyclone.

Changes with this advisory

The Tropical Storm Watch has been discontinued for the east coast of Florida from Palm Beach/Martin County Line to the Flagler/Volusia County Line.

Watches and warnings currently in effect

• Tropical Storm Warning for:

• Central Bahamas, including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador

• Portions of the northwestern Bahamas, including Eleuthera, New Providence, the Abacos, Berry Islands, Andros island, and Grand Bahama Island

Meaning of the different watches and warnings

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, within 36 hours.

Hazards affecting land

Wind. Tropical storm conditions are occuring in the central and northwestern Bahamas and should continue through Monday morning.

Rainfall. Tropical Storm Imelda is expected to produce additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches across eastern Cuba and 4 to 8 inches across the northwest Bahamas through Tuesday. This rainfall will likely produce flash and urban flooding. Mudslides are also possible in areas of higher terrain across eastern Cuba. Storm total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with local maxima of 6 inches are expected through Tuesday across coastal South Carolina into southeast North Carolina. This rainfall could result in isolated flash, urban, and minor river flooding. For a complete forecast of rainfall and flash flooding associated with this system, 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 will affect portions of the Bahamas this weekend, and 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