A tropical depression has formed in the Gulf that is expected to intensify and potentially strengthen into a hurricane later this week.
Tropical Depression 9, which formed Tuesday afternoon, is expected to become named Tropical Storm Isaias in the next 24 hours and then continue intensifying as it moves across the warm Gulf waters.
The storm may become a hurricane by Wednesday night or Thursday. Additional strengthening to a Category 2 hurricane is possible Friday before it is expected to make landfall late Friday night or Saturday morning along the Gulf Coast.
The central Gulf Coast, from New Orleans to Tallahassee, Florida, could receive 2 to 5 inches of rain Friday to Sunday.
A level 2 out of 4 flood risk is possible Friday from New Orleans to Panama City, Florida. On Saturday, that level 2 out of 4 flood risk widens to all of the Gulf Coast states.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Tuesday evening declaring a state of emergency for 25 counties in the state and said state emergency response teams for mobilizing resources to prepare for the storm.
Meanwhile, more than 35 million Californians are under heat alerts on Tuesday.
This is the first time in recorded history that Los Angeles has had four consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees in October.
This heat wave will continue through the middle of this week and finally come to an end just as the weekend gets underway.
Extreme heat warnings are in place across Southern California through Thursday.
Temperatures will reach 90 to 100 degrees along the coasts of Southern California, from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Valleys of Southern California could reach up to 106 degrees.
Heat advisories are in place across central California through Thursday or Friday depending on the area.
Temperatures could reach the low 100s from Bakersfield to Fresno to San Jose to Sacramento to Redding.
With overnight lows also well above average, this nearly week-long heat wave is especially dangerous for those without access to air conditioning.