Tropical Storm Francine: is Francine a hurricane and will it hit NJ?

Tropical Storm Francine is strengthening in the Gulf's abnormally warm waters as it heads for landfall as a possible hurricane. But more may be on the way.

Francine is now the 6th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. It is expected to become Hurricane Francine before it reaches the northwestern Gulf coast on Wednesday.

The storm is currently moving slowly with over 50 mph sustained winds and higher gusts off the coast of Mexican state of Veracruz, but expected to drift northward, targeting Texas and Louisiana, according to AccuWeather .

"As Francine continues to churn over the very warm waters of the Bay of Campeche, we expect it to become even more organized. Increased wind intensity is expected over the course of this week before making landfall along the southern Gulf Coast,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Isaac Longley.

There is a Storm Surge Watch already in effect, as the National Hurricane Service forecasts the storm to bring life-threatening storm surge inundation for portions of Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches with localized amounts up to 12 inches is expected with a risk of flash and urban flooding across portions of the Mid-South through from Wednesday through Friday.

A Hurricane watch is in effect for Louisiana as the forecast calls for an increased risk of damaging hurricane-force winds beginning Wednesday.

But there is more activity behind this storm as two more waves are brewing possibilities over the upcoming week in the Atlantic.

What other possible storms are in the Atlantic?

AccuWeather meteorologists are monitoring two waves for tropical development that they predict as being likely to form further across the open water of the central and eastern Atlantic ocean in the upcoming week.

The first wave is located a few hundred mile west of Cape Verde and is expected to slowly track west-northwestward over the open Atlantic's warm waters for days. A tropical depression could form during the middle to latter part of this week.

The second tropical wave is expected to emerge off Africa and is projected to make its way in a west-northwest direction as it gets later into the week.

NHS estimates over a 60% chance that both these storms will form over the next week.

This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Tropical Storm Francine: is Francine a hurricane and will it hit NJ?