Hurricane Humberto, the eighth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, has made headlines for its astonishing transformation from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 48 hours. As of 5 p.m. on September 27, the National Hurricane Center reported Humberto’s location at about 350 miles north-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and 685 miles south-southwest of Bermuda, moving west-northwest at 10 mph with sustained winds reaching a ferocious 160 mph. This rapid intensification—an increase of 40 mph in wind speed between late Thursday and Friday—has caught the attention of meteorologists and coastal communities alike, even as Humberto is forecast to spare South Florida and the U.S. East Coast a direct hit.
But Humberto isn’t the only storm in the Atlantic stirring up concern. According to The New York Times, another system—Tropical Depression Nine, likely to become Tropical Storm Imelda—has been lashing the Bahamas and Cuba throughout the weekend. The National Hurricane Center expects this depression to strengthen into a tropical storm by Sunday, September 28, as it moves north over the Bahamas, and possibly reach hurricane intensity as it approaches the southeastern United States early next week.
The close proximity of Humberto and the developing Imelda has prompted meteorologists to watch for the Fujiwhara effect, a rare meteorological phenomenon where two storms orbit around a shared center, potentially altering each other’s paths or even merging. As The New York Times explains, the Fujiwhara effect—named after Japanese meteorologist Sakuhei Fujiwhara—can cause storms to spin around each other, merge, or sometimes simply go their separate ways. The outcome depends on their relative strengths and distances. While this effect is more common in the western Pacific, it has influenced Atlantic storms before, such as when Tropical Storm Jose was absorbed by Franklin in 2023.
For now, Humberto remains the stronger of the two storms, and, crucially, it is farther from land. The National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory indicates that Humberto will turn north and then northeast, passing near Bermuda early next week and avoiding landfall in the United States. However, forecasters warn that swells from Humberto will generate life-threatening rip currents along the East Coast through early October. “Swells from the storm will cause life-threatening rip currents in coastal areas, including the East Coast of the United States in the coming days,” the Center warned, according to The New York Times.
Tropical Depression Nine, meanwhile, is a more immediate worry for those in the Caribbean and the southeastern U.S. Tropical storm warnings and watches have been issued for much of the Bahamas, where up to eight inches of rain is expected, and for parts of Cuba, where rainfall could exceed a foot through Monday. The National Weather Service has also warned of “significant risk” of wind, rain, and storm surge in the southeastern United States into next week, as the depression is expected to be “at or near” hurricane intensity when it approaches the region.
Officials from Florida to the Carolinas are not taking any chances. The governors of South Carolina and North Carolina declared states of emergency ahead of the storm, with South Carolina’s Gov. Henry McMaster stating, “While the storm’s possible effects remain hard to predict, officials felt confident it would bring significant wind, heavy rainfall and flooding across the state.” North Carolina’s Gov. Josh Stein similarly advised residents to be prepared, even as the forecast remains uncertain. In Charleston, local officials have begun mobilizing resources, and the National Weather Service has launched extra weather balloons and dispatched Hurricane Hunter planes to gather critical atmospheric data.
In South Florida, the NEXT Weather team is keeping a close eye on Tropical Depression Nine as it moves northwest and eventually north-northwest, passing over the Bahamas. The storm is forecast to pass well to the east of South Florida, but its exact track remains uncertain. Meteorologists caution that a slight shift could bring rain squalls and tropical storm-force winds closer to the coast, potentially impacting northern Broward County. The strongest winds—gusts of 25 to 30 mph—are expected on Monday and early Tuesday as the storm moves away from the region, but rough seas and surf are expected to persist throughout the week.
For communities in the Bahamas and Cuba, the threat is more immediate and severe. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology warned of “widely scattered showers and strong thunderstorms with possible tornadic activity” and significant rainfall through Saturday. Even if the system does not organize into a named storm, dangerous conditions are expected. Local authorities are urging residents to stay alert and prepare for possible flooding and power outages.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season has been anything but predictable. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projected between 13 and 18 named storms, with five to nine expected to become hurricanes. Imelda would be the ninth named storm this year. The season got off to a slow start, but Humberto’s rapid intensification and the potential threat from Imelda have brought renewed attention and urgency to storm preparedness along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Rapid intensification events like Humberto’s are becoming more common, baffling even seasoned forecasters. As The New York Times recounts, similar surprises have occurred in recent years, such as Hurricane Otis near Acapulco in 2023 and Hurricane Milton last year, both of which jumped from Category 1 to Category 5 in less than a day. These dramatic transformations are often fueled by high sea surface temperatures, which have been linked to El Niño and human-driven climate change. Warmer waters provide the energy hurricanes need to explode in strength, leaving little time for officials and residents to prepare.
Brian Haines, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Charleston, summed up the challenge: “It’s a very difficult forecast.” The interaction between Humberto and the developing Imelda, the influence of meteorological “alleyways” of high and low pressure, and the storms’ relative sizes all contribute to the uncertainty. As more data comes in from reconnaissance flights and weather balloons, forecasters hope to refine their predictions and give coastal communities a clearer picture of what to expect.
For now, the best advice is to stay vigilant and heed official warnings. As the Atlantic hurricane season enters its peak, the dual threat of Humberto and Imelda serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictability—and the importance of preparation.
