Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday afternoon and is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later today — and it's growing at a rapid pace.

In an advisory on Sunday afternoon, National Hurricane Center (NHC) meteorologists said Milton is traveling across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico toward the west coast of Florida. It's expected to make landfall by Wednesday as a Category 3 or higher along the west coast of the Tampa, Fla., area, reports CBS News.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has warned that the state is preparing for the possible evacuation of over 6 million residents, while still cleaning up the devastation left by Hurricane Helene last week. He's expanded a state of emergency declaration to 51 counties.

According to the White House, President Biden has been briefed on the situation — including its "potential impacts" to the Florida Gulf Coast and the work FEMA is doing in advance of the storm.

The Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch for the coast of Mexico from Celestún to Cabo Catoche, according to the NHC. Those in the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the progress of the storm. Hurricane and storm surge watches could be required for portions of Florida late today.

Where is Tropical Storm Milton and what is its path?

As of Sunday, 2 p.m. ET:

Milton was located around 290 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico.

It was about 815 miles west-southwest of Tampa.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.

The storm was moving east-southeast or 100 degrees, at 6 mph across the Gulf of Mexico.

Category 1 winds range from 74 mph to 95 mph, according to the NHC, whereas Category 2 range from 96 mph to 110 mph and Category 3 range from 111 mph to 129 mph.

Risks 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 diminished to a Category 2 hurricane on Sunday. As of 10:00 a.m. ET, Kirk is accelerating north-northeastward over open waters. Large swells are producing an “increased risk of life-threatening rip currents along the U.S. East Coast," according to the NHC.

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.