A tropical depression could develop in the Gulf of Mexico next week, according to forecasters. And those along the western Gulf Coast need to keep an eye on it.

The National Hurricane Center has been tracking a tropical disturbance for much of the past week as it moved through the Caribbean, over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and into the southern Gulf’s Bay of Campeche.

It was producing disorganized rain and storms in the southern Gulf on Saturday, according to forecasters.

However, the hurricane center raised the probability of development from medium to high on Saturday afternoon.

As of Saturday afternoon an area of low pressure has formed, and the entire system could evolve into a tropical depression by midweek as it interacts with a frontal boundary to the north, which is currently draped across the northern Gulf Coast:

The system is expected to move slowly to the northwest or north.

It’s unclear how strong it could be, or where it could go, but those along the Gulf Coast will need to keep an eye on it for the next few days.

“Interests along the western Gulf of Mexico coast should closely monitor the progress of this system,” forecasters said Saturday afternoon.

It has the potential to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to part of the western Gulf Coast in the next few days.

A system has to have a defined center of circulation and winds of at least 39 mph to be considered a tropical storm and get a name. The next name on the list is Francine.

The hurricane center was also tracking a second tropical disturbance, and this one was in the central Atlantic on Saturday.

It has a 40 percent probability of becoming a tropical depression in the next seven days. It’s expected to meander for a few days then begin tracking to the west-northwest across the central tropical Atlantic.

It could also become a tropical depression next week.

A third system was identified on Saturday afternoon in the eastern Atlantic east-southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands. Forecasters said some slow development will be possible early next week as it tracks to the west-northwest.

It had a 20 percent probability of becoming a tropical depression in the next week.

The Atlantic hurricane season is now in what is usually its most active period, with a climatological peak coming on Sept. 10. However, the basin has been unusually quiet since Hurricane Ernesto dissipated on Aug. 20.

NOAA had been anticipating 17 to 24 named storms in the Atlantic before the end of the hurricane season on Nov. 30. To date there have been five named storms, with three of them becoming hurricanes.