Sept. 28 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Imelda formed in the Atlantic on Sunday evening, making it the ninth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.

Imelda had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. EDT update.

It was located about 125 miles northwest of the Central Bahamas and about 320 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral, Fla., according to the forecasters, who said it was moving north at 9 mph.

“Strengthening is expected during the next few days, and Imelda is forecast to become a hurricane by late Monday or Tuesday,” the NHC update said.

“On the forecast track, the center of the system is expected to move across the central and northwestern Bahamas tonight and Monday and then turn east-northeastward, moving away from the southeastern U.S. by the middle part of this week.”

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Central Bahamas and San Salvador, as well as portions of northwestern Bahamas.

Eastern Cuba is expected to see 2 to 4 inches of rain with northwest Bahamas to see between 4 and 8 inches through Tuesday, the forecasters said.

“This rainfall will likely produce flash and urban flooding,” NHC said. “Mudslides are also possible in areas of higher terrain across eastern Cuba.”

Coastal southern North Carolina and its southeast are expected to see between 2 and 4 inches of rainfall with a maximum of 6 inches through Tuesday. This could also result in flash and urban flooding, the forecasters warned.

Swells generated by the cyclone, as well as Hurricane Humberto, will affect parts of the Bahamas this weekend and are predicted to spread to the southeast U.S. coast early next week.

The potential for swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, NHC said.