This article was updated on Oct. 8, 2026.

Hurricane Isaias is building momentum in the Gulf of Mexico, and climatologists say the late-season storm could become a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 111 miles per hour.

The storm could make landfall on Friday, and if the storm continues to pick up momentum, it will be the latest arriving initial hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season since 1905, according to the Associated Press.

The National Hurricane Center issued a public advisory for a hurricane watch on Tuesday evening, and up to 10 inches of rainfall could drench some locations across the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

The Atlantic has witnessed a calm hurricane season compared to previous years, with just nine named storms and zero hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an El Niño advisory in June with a below-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic.…