Tropical Storm Humberto has formed. What impact could it have on NC?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tropical Storm Humberto formed Sept. 24 and may reach hurricane strength.
- Storm expected to remain offshore, but East Coast rip current risk may increase.
- Forecasters predict above-normal 2025 hurricane season.
Update: Find our latest story on Humberto here.
The National Hurricane Center has identified the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Tropical Storm Humberto developed in the afternoon Wednesday, Sept. 24.
The hurricane center had been tracking the tropical wave for several days.
Here’s what to know about the tropical storm.
Where is Tropical Storm Humberto?
As of 5 p.m. Sept. 24, the storm was about 550 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving west-northwest at 15 mph.
The National Hurricane Center expected the cyclone to continue moving west-northwest to northwest over the next several days, with a slower forward speed.
Will Humberto become a hurricane?
The storm could intensify into a hurricane, Kathleen Carroll, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh, told The News & Observer.
However, as of Wednesday afternoon, the storm is not expected to intensify into a major hurricane — defined by maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 74 mph. When it does reach hurricane status, which could be sometime this weekend, the storm is still expected to be over open water.
How could Humberto affect NC?
Even if Humberto remains offshore, it could impact the U.S. East Coast, including North Carolina.
Tropical systems including tropical storms and hurricanes such as Gabrielle can increase the risk of dangerous rip currents along the coast. Beachgoers should be mindful, Carroll said.
More storms could be coming
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave over the northeastern Caribbean Sea. That wave is expected to move west-northwestward around 10 mph and 15 mph, bringing heavy rain and gusty winds to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Wednesday, and to the Dominican Republic overnight.
The storm is expected to slow down and turn northwestward when it gets to the southwestern Atlantic late this week.
It will likely form into a tropical depression when the system is near the Bahamas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Humberto could interact with the tropical wave, and Carroll said because of this, there is “uncertainty” in the tropics over the weekend and into next week.
When is hurricane season?
The next named storm, which would be the ninth of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, would be Imelda.
Hurricane season continues through Nov. 30.
Meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that there will be at least 13 named storms this season. Colorado State University’s seasonal forecast, which was last updated Wednesday, Aug. 6, includes 16 named storms.
Both forecasts predict above-normal Atlantic storm activity.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM.
