Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday afternoon and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane later today.

In an advisory on Sunday morning, National Hurricane Center (NHC) meteorologists said Milton may turn into a "major hurricane" as it travels across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico toward the west coast of Florida, a state recently ravaged by Hurricane Helene, where it's expected to make landfall by midweek.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, from Celestún to Cancun, as well as the Florida Keys and northwestern Bahamas. Hurricane and storm surge watches will likely be required for portions of Florida later today, said the NHC.

Where is Tropical Storm Milton and what is its path?

As of Sunday, 7 a.m. ET:

Milton was located around 345 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico.

It was about 860 miles west-southwest of Tampa.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

The storm was moving east, or 90 degrees, at 5 mph across the Gulf of Mexico.

Risk of "life-threatening impacts" are increasing for portions of Florida's west coast," the NHC said on Sunday morning. There is also an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday.

Residents in these areas should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place, the center warned in Saturday's advisory.

Portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys can expect rainfall of 5 to 8 inches, with localized totals up to 12 inches, through Wednesday night. Such rainfall brings "the risk of flash, urban, and areal flooding, along with minor to moderate river flooding," meteorologists said.

Meanwhile, the northern Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba can expect 2 to 4 inches of rainfall.

Outside of Tropical Storm Milton, Hurricane Kirk, currently a Category 3 hurricane, is generating swells that are expected to bring "an increased risk of dangerous surf and rip currents" to the U.S. East Coast over the next few days.

Milton comes days after Helene

Tropical Storm Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone.

After making landfall with 140 mph winds, the storm moved inland across the Southeast, leaving more than 200 people dead and leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Following the storm, the state’s infrastructure and emergency services have been stretched thin. As of Saturday afternoon, thousands of utility customers were still without power in Florida.

Read more from Yahoo News: Helene shows that hurricanes in the age of climate change don’t wreck just coastlines

Active hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, but the peak of heightened activity is usually from August through October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” hurricane season in the Atlantic will usually see around 14 named storms, “of which seven become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes.”

As of early October, eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic — with Milton becoming the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is running ahead of the expected schedule. Typically, the 13th storm of the season wouldn’t hit until at least Oct. 25.